Lost Hero
by PaulXion
Summary: After a horrific incident that happened 5 years ago, the Tennysons are now separated from each other. Ben was now but a shadow of his former hero glory and Gwen had turned her robes to become a full fledge Plumber. Reader's discretion is advised.....PEACE
1. The Foundation

Title: Lost Hero

**Title: Lost Hero**

**Chapter 1: The Foundation**

**(Bellwood University)**

Bellwood University, a school located in the central district of the city of Bellwood. Surrounded by waters and small islands, the school was probably one of the greatest architectural designs in the entire course of man. The school itself was connected with a system of bridges that passes over the safe waters of the city docks. There were only two entrances to the school and both were always closely well guarded by the prospects and the disciplinary force of the school. The first entrance was located at the north; a brick bridge that stood for years was connected to the city's downtown which made it the busiest places in the entire school. The second entrance was at the shipwright where the school conducts its own private business of tours and transportations.

The city of Bellwood however… was not in the best shape of its life. There were a total of five districts in the city and each and every one of them had their own share of problems.

The first and foremost would be the downtown district which was located right next to the Bellwood University. From morning to afternoon the place would be crawling with so many shoppers and gossipers that would make Christmas look like a girl's slumber party. Shops will sell their goods for an honest price and rarely any bad deeds would be done there. However… when night falls, that will be when the vampires come out. When I meant 'vampires' I didn't exactly mean those who would suck your blood, no. I was talking about vampires that were more interested in the colored papers stashed in your wallet. When the moon comes out, the innocent candy stores will finally show their fangs and open up their back door to the illegal casinos.

Brothels and gabling den were aplenty and if I had a nickel for every time I saw a slut or a prostitute walk through those streets… then sonny… I would probably be… a freakin billionaire.

The second district that was to call to your attention would probably be the Bellwood square. The prettiest and biggest condos and mansion can be seen there and it was here where the city is at its peak. Only the wealthy, the powerful and the snobs would walk through its perfumed garden and rich layered side street. You can easily tell a kid who came from that district through the strong rich stench, clean hair cut and their expensive Caesar clothing. Heck, a poor man could eat for weeks with just their threads.

The third district in the city that came into the neutral list would probably be the school, of course… I already explained the details of that place… didn't I?

Anyway… moving on…

The fourth district that comes onto the negative side of town would be the industrial district. Homes to the only the hard working citizens of America, it was a place any man worth his salt would respect. Everyday you would see drivers moving up their trucks into warehouses, workers, carrying heavy payloads of goods from in and out of town into the docks… and even hobos do their share of work here as well.

During the day, the place seemed well enough to walk through without a care in the world, if you don't mind the pollution coming out of the factory that is. But during the night, everything in this little old town would change. At first glance, no one would really pay much attention here, but in truth… the place had a dark and terrible secret. When the moon is at its peak up in the mighty sky, the once innocent looking railways become the central place for gang meetings, school fret trials, and perhaps even illegal dealings of firearms and drugs.

It's frightening yet amazing to see such a place turn into such a horrible web of crimes…

The last and final district that everyone in the city should know… would be the Slums. It was used to be called Old Bellwood, but with the local mayor abandoning it for the crows to feed on, the residence there soon began to call it the slums. The name probably suits it too. The moment you set foot in this district, you would immediately begin to think that you were sent in another country. There was only one way into the city and that way in was also the only way out. Police cruisers never tread into this place and with good reasons too. The place was the central ground for gang bases, beggars, academy dropouts and hobos.

There's not much difference here during the day and night. The place was probably a total nightmare for any normal citizen of the country. Broken shagged houses, run down apartment buildings, and food stalls lined up the streets. People struggle everyday just trying to earn their next meal no matter how hard it was. However… not everyone here considers this to be hell on earth. Yes… there were actually a bunch of people who were actually able to call this little piece of dump home. You wanna know what kind of people? Well here's a list. Gang members that ruled the majority of the district can turn this place into their heaven. Killers, psychopaths and rapists patrol the streets day in and day out looking for next victims to add to their collection.

There wouldn't be a day where you wouldn't hear the sound of an innocent bystander screaming through the night begging for mercy.

So this is probably as much of Bellwood as it is. There are some good and a lot of bad, but it was still livable, if you know where to go at certain times.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves now shall we? Why don't we return to where we started? To the Bellwood University, where a certain orange haired girl was about to make her un-presidential debut to the faculties of the school.

**(Principle's office)**

"So… your name is Gwendolyn Tennyson, correct?" said principle Wyatt, the head of the school. The girl in front of her wearing a dashing blue vest and aqua long sleeve T-shirt and long pants nodded back in reply. "I hear you have quite a remarkable status in your old school" the principle continued while adjusting his glasses with his index fingers. The recommendations from the mayor weren't really necessary Ms. Tennyson. I would've enrolled you the moment I saw these score charts. They are very impressive"

"Thank you Mr. Wyatt" the girl smiled proudly at herself after hearing his compliments, "But the mayor said that he wanted me to give you his recommendation just in case"

"Hahaha, that is so like him" the principle laughed softly, "Anyway… everything seems to be in order. Your grades are excellent, you have several achievements already and I hear you were an expert in martial arts" Gwen didn't really needed all of that praise but it didn't stop the man from continuing, "I'm certain you will be an ideal student here in Bellwood University. Welcome Ms. Tennyson" he extended his hand for a shake in which she gladly returned.

"Please… just call me Gwen"

Once their hands were back in place, Wyatt called out to his secretary, "Ms. Royan, will you please come to my office for a moment?" a few seconds later, a woman in her mid thirties entered through the door of his office.

"You called principle?"

"Yes, would you kindly give young Gwendolyn here a tour around the campus? I'm sure she would want to familiarize herself with the place as soon as possible" he then turned to Gwen who seemed rather uncertain of the situation, "Gwendolyn, this here is my secretary, Ms. Kalia Royan. She's a very helpful woman. So if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask"

"Thank you principle Wyatt" Gwen quickly stood up from her seat and grab her blue cotton jacket and sling bag from the side of the chair. "But I don't think a tour is really necessary"

"Nonsense" the man raised his hand up which stopped the girl from speaking, "It is my duty to make sure every student in this academy is comfortable and settles in as soon as he or she enters through my gates. Besides, she has the key to your dorm room. Ms. Royan?"

"Of course Mr. Wyatt" the secretary bowed in respect before turning back to the 'special' girl, "Come now Ms. Tennyson. The day is still young and you would want to know the school like the back of your hand as soon as possible. Come now, gather your things and we shall be on our way"

"Oh… ok" Gwen then again bowed to the principle and immediately went after Ms. Royan.

By the time they were out of the main building, Gwen immediately took a deep breath to get the tension off her system. She might be a grade-A student but meeting the principle of the school still manages to leave her breathless.

"Ah, there you are Ms. Tennyson" Kalia said in an uncertain manner, "Shall we begin the tour? I'm eager to show you everything" not even waiting for a reply, the secretary quickly made her way towards the garden. There was a statue of the founder of the academy in the garden and it looks like it has been standing there for almost ten or twenty years already.

"Oh before we begin Ms. Tennyson" Kalia began, "Allow me to officially welcome you to Bellwood University. I know it's not much of a welcome since we don't exactly have the man power here"

"Oh that's ok" Gwen chuckled, "I'm not used to all the attention anyway"

"Excellent! Well then… where shall we start?" Ms. Royan took a quick look around the campus and decided to start where they stood, "Oh well, I may as well start here ahehehe" she paused for a moment and poised herself like she was about to give a speech or something, "The island in which we are standing now is called the main square" she explained briefly, "It is here that you will have most of your classes. The main office is the building where we just came out from and the main study rooms will be located there" she pointed to a similar looking building on the edge of the island, "All your classes like, algebra, trigonometry, biology, chemistry, foreign language and arts will be held in there"

"That sure is a tall building" Gwen noted to herself to not look down when she's on the fourth floor of that particular building.

"Yes… well our school thrives on heights nowadays" Ms. Royan joked as she continued with her explanation, "Now where was I? Ah yes… as you can see there are a system of bridges that leads to particular islands of the campus. You will find a map in each of these areas so you won't easily get lost. The boy's dormitory is located north western corner of the school which is also connected to the main entrance of the school. The girl's dorm is over by the east side of the main square. Mrs. Polly Randolph is the caretaker of that place so she will be in charge of the schedule and curfew"

She paused once again to catch her breath before continuing. "The bridge connecting to the south east goes to the observatory and library. It's probably the quietest place you'll find in this entire campus"

"Looks like I'll be spending most of my time there then" Gwen joked but it didn't exactly made the secretary laugh along with her.

"Funny…" she replied sarcastically, "Anyway… I must however warn you not to cross beyond that point. The bridge that goes beyond that is the docks of the school and only authorized personnel can enter its gates"

"Why all the secrecy?"

Kalia eyed her surprisingly shocked, "My young lady, it is not secrets that we are hiding. It is for the protection of our fellow students. A few years ago, three students broke into the docks district and idiotically took control of one of the expensive cranes. The fools did not know what they were doing and ended up injuring more than a dozen of our workers and themselves included. The school had no other choice but to expel them"

"O…k…"

"But enough of our dark history" Kalia continued, "Let's resume with the tour now, shall we?" she then turned to another bridge on the north east. "This bridge goes to the study hall which houses our more… advance classes. Your rooms will be designated and assigned when you receive your schedule" she then turned to the last bridge that was somewhat different from the rest. "The last and final bridge located on the south west of the main square is the Tri-arch Bridge. It is a wonderful masterpiece that was designed by the founder of this academy. Not only did it save money, but it also became a landmark of this school. It connects the cafeteria, the gym and the festival park altogether"

"Festival Park?" Gwen questioned with a raised brow.

"Yes, the Festival Park" she repeated, "It's the place where we hold parties, like Christmas, Halloween, Easter, 4th of July, and so on. I attended many of these parties before and I am proud to say that all of them had been quite successful so far" she chuckled to herself before turning her stare back at the new student, "Well then, I guess this concludes our tour of Bellwood University. I hope you do enjoy your stay here at the academy and as professor Wyatt said: If you need anything, please come to me right away" and with one last bow, she heads off towards the main office building to resume her work.

"Umm… excuse me" Gwen interrupted a little shyly, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Of course not. What is it do wish to know?"

"About the rumors…… are they true? You know… the one about strange aliens appearing at night"

The secretary's eyes widened slightly as she did not expect that to come from her. She thought that Gwen was a student who didn't care about anything in the outside world, "Young lady…" she replied calmly, "I have no time for rumors. I only listen to facts. The rumors you probably heard about must've just came from kindergarten students who had watched too much of those cartoons"

"Oh… I see" Gwen's face seemed a little saddened to hear about that.

"Are there any more questions?"

"No… thank you for your help Ms. Royan"

"Please… let us skip the formalities" Kalia smiled back at her, "Since the principle seems to like you very much, you may simply call me Kalia" she then paused for a moment before speaking, "Oh that reminds me Ms. Tennyson. I saw in you application that you already have a job in the downtown district, correct?"

"Huh? Oh yeah… I'm an editor for the Damien Corporations"

"Ah I see… the Damien Corps is also an investor here in the Bellwood University. I just hope it will not interfere with your studies"

"Don't worry, I already told my boss of my situation. He'll pull something out for me"

"Very well then… I wish you luck Ms. Tennyson and hope to see you again soon" and with that they both parted ways.

**(Girl's dorm isle)**

Right after Gwen was finished with the tour she immediately went off towards the girl's dormitory to get herself a room. She wanted to settle in as soon as possible. She still had a whole week before classes start, but she was in a rush for another reason.

The island of the girl's dorm was a lot bigger than she had expected. There were six large buildings, each with their own unique styles and a large garden equipped with a fountain to sooth one's soul. As she entered the area with her luggage she was immediately approached by a lady probably in the same age as the principle's secretary. "Are you a student here, young lady?" she asked in a very strict tone.

"Y… yes…" Gwen nodded.

"Then show me your identification" Gwen quickly pulled out her school ID which seemed to have checked out. She never thought to see two strict people at the same day.

"Very good" the old lady's mood then immediately turned to a caring mother which seemed to have lightened Gwen's brain tension, "Sorry for the tone earlier. You can't trust anyone nowadays" she then moved out to give the girl some breathing room, "My name is Polly Randolph. I'm the care taker of the girl's dormitory. Your name is… Gwendolyn Tennyson, correct? (nod) Well then Ms. Tennyson, allow me to show you around the dormitory" she then returned the ID to the girl and showed her around the island. "As you can see, there is only one point of entry into the girl's dormitory so you don't have to worry about a thing about those sniveling perverts on the other side of the campus" he gestured to the boy's dorm which was still visible even thought it was far away.

"That's good to know" Gwen agreed since she didn't like any peeping toms either. "Back in high school, it was just a battle just trying to get a shower"

"Absolutely!" Polly shouted till the top of her lunges, "Anyway, allow me to explain the rules of my dormitories. All residence here on the island are allowed to go in and out as they please so long as they follow the rules. There is no dress code here in school so you may anything as you see fit, as long as you wear your IDs. Curfew is at 11 PM sharp from Sunday to Thursday. There is no curfew on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. A maid will tend to your room every Saturday to make your bed and get the laundry done. There is a mini-cafeteria in each of the dorm so you don't really need to walk all the way to the main cafeteria for food. We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the menus. Think of it as a… a restaurant in a hotel"

"Wow… that's terrific!" Gwen said amazed by the whole system.

"Yes… thank you very much" Polly smiled back at her, "Now where was I? Oh yes. There are showers on every floor of the dorm so there's no need to be picky. Any misbehavior will be dealt with severe punishment, is that clear Ms. Tennyson?"

"Yes Mrs. Randolph"

"Good… now let me show you to your room. I'm sure you'll really love this place"

"You have no idea" she muttered under her breath.

By the time they arrived at one of the rooms in the dorm, Gwen's eyes widened so much that it was a miracle that they haven't fallen off and rolled down the floor. The room in the dorm was way better than all the dorms she had been in. There was a wardrobe, a mirror, a balcony just like every other rooms, a study table, a tea table for guests (if she has any guests) and a comfy bed suitable for one person to sleep on.

"Whoa! This is my room?!" she again said amazed by everything she saw.

Polly smiled at her surprised expression. She must've done this a few hundred times already but she always loved to see the looks on their faces. "Yes it is" she nodded, "Each room is for one person only. Not only does this accommodate you, but you may also bring a friend in here to. Be warned though. I only expect females to be in here when I come to check it up"

"But what about that security guards by the bridge?"

"Oh you mean Alfonse and Edger? Oh don't you worry about them. They're…… my kind of boys and they can really scare those perverts away"

Gwen was really happy to be in such a large room. She still couldn't believe that she was actually going to stay here for the rest of her college life. "Wow… this dorm really is perfect. You got everything!" but Polly didn't agree. In fact, her face seemed rather saddened when she then went on to open the glassed door that connected to the balcony, "I thought so too" she began, "I thought that this dorm was the perfect place for all girls like you Gwendolyn. I thought it was perfect, until I saw this…" as Gwen looked out the window, her heart nearly sank when the view killed her happiness.

On the opposite side of a large amount of water, was none other than the slums. You could see the homeless and the poor fishing across the river banks trying to get their next meal and the massed gang fighting happening all across the area.

"Is that…"

"Yes…" Polly answered, "That is the infamous city slums. The worst part of the city. It's because of this view that makes my dorm imperfect. Those sniveling boys at the boy's dorm have a terrible sense of hygiene but they have the view of the Bellwood square! OH!! If only I had picked the right area I would've made the perfect dorm! (ahem) Sorry about that. I guess I shouldn't let myself get carried away like that. Well then, I'll leave you to your unpacking"

"Wait!" Gwen called out, "Can I ask you something?"

"Ask away child. I'm always free"

"Do you know anything about the rumors of aliens? You know… the one that's been going on around the city?"

"You mean those stories about those different creatures that appear and disappear when a crime is being committed?" Gwen nodded back in reply, "I'm sorry, but I've only heard about rumors of it. I've never actually saw them with my own eyes. I bet it's just some silly story a bunch of kids conjure up with their fantasies and comic books. I tell ya, cartoons nowadays can brainwash even the elders!"

"I see… thank you Mrs. Randolph" and with that, the old lady left the room to let her tend to her things. The moment she knew that she was out of earshot, Gwen took a seat on her comfy bed and sighed disappointingly at the ceiling. She was really hoping that someone in school would know something about the aliens that were working as vigilantes, but all leads seemed to lead to the same conclusion. Not wanting to think about it any further, the girl decided to unpack before the other students return to their dorms.

As she opened up her suitcase, she noted that she had brought only a few change of clothes for her stay here. Her parents were able to grant her some cash before sending her here so she could buy some new clothes. The rest of the things inside the suitcase were just some knickknacks and mementos from her previous life as a child. After she brought all of the things out, she realized that it would take her all day just to get her things sorted out. So with no one looking, she waved her hand in the air and said, "Kasa orga yelamatergo!" immediately, the objects that had been littered on the ground began to float and began sorting themselves out. Her clothes folded themselves and flew right into the wardrobe. Her perfumes, colognes and other beautifications arranged themselves neatly on the mirror table and the rest of her things were put around to give her room that Gwen look.

"Yup… I still got it" she said to herself before checking in her suitcase. She then noticed that there was still one object that was not sorted out. It was a picture frame. But it wasn't the frame itself that made it valuable… it was the picture inside of it. It was a picture of her and a boy with similar colored eyes wearing a black and white T-shirt with a strange looking watch on his left arm. The two of them were smiling, their arms entwined with one another and their faces were covered with what appeared to be a birthday cake.

Gwen had not smiled this affectionately ever since she came to this godforsaken city. She would look at this picture for all eternity if she was given the chance, but right now she had more important matters to attend to.

**(The Slums) (Ben's POV) (11:20 AM)**

I awoke today at the call of my alarm clock and the rays of the sun. The sun light shone brightly through my ragged window as if it was trying to tell me something. At first I tried to go back to sleep by shifting my sleeping position to the other side, but it looked like the sun had its way of following my face. As it continued to annoy me I finally got up and said, "Alright, alright I got it! Geeze, can't a guy get a bit of sleep around here?"

A few minutes later, I got out of my mattress and yawned out so loud that my stomach was groaning along with it. I guess it was no surprise, seeing that I haven't anything but cabbage and leaf plants that grew outside my house. Yeah sure, there wasn't much of a taste, but at least I still get to eat something. After cleaning myself up and combing my hair, I began to do my usual routine exercise of fifty pushups on the floor and fifty pull-ups on a metal bar above my favorite doorway. It was rigorous work, but at least I would be able to know if my body could still keep up with my strength.

After finishing that routine, I got back up on my feet and prepared breakfast… or should I say brunch since it was already way past ten o'clock. Today I had saved up my best meal for last. Last night I was able to catch myself a salmon from the shore with my made up fishing rod. I didn't really expect it to work back then but now it seemed like luck does seem to play a good part in this.

I managed to build up a fire using an old wooden chair that I found on the streets. Living in the slums was indeed a difficult life but if you knew your survival skills than you might actually just make it out another week or two.

As I waited for my meal to finish, I decided to take a little stroll around the house to see if there had been any damage done. Usually everyday, some street punk gangsters would fight over by the alley next door and sometimes they would resort into using bricks and stones. I didn't mind them throwing those things in my house, in fact it actually saves me time looking for these materials. I could use these large stones to make a small tool that I could use to rebuild my house and I've been saving up bricks to build myself a chimney. I tried lightning a chimney made out of wood once, but it didn't exactly work out so I thought that if I find enough of these little rectangle pieces, I wouldn't have to worry about getting cold anymore.

Nights can be really chilling down here in the slums and often a lot of guys would freeze to death if they didn't wear proper protection. But it didn't really matter around here. In the slums, people die every day or get beaten up by some gang members.

There was a clinic here run by a guy name Dr. Lorry Kent who treats the wounded and the ills. He says that he was here to do charity work, but I don't believe in anything that he says. Don't let his appearance fool you. He may look like a good doctor on the outside, but once you get to know him real well, you'll find out that he's one of sickest guys I know. Sure he treats his patient without a fee but not all of them go too well, until he found a new source of income. Cocaine sticks, powder, cigarettes, you name it, he's probably got a shelf full of those crap. He was under the protection of the Verdons, the most powerful gang in the entire district who now controls the only power generator in the area.

There are total of at least twenty five gangs here in the district, but most of them were just wanabes, trying to look tough even though they know they're not. There was no police force here in the slums, so it didn't matter who got hurt, raped, robbed or killed. The mayor said that he didn't have the funds to stretch his police force any further than the industrial district so it was up to everyone to defend themselves. But as you can see, things were going from bad to worse. I didn't have any friends here in the district, nor anywhere for that matter. The only people who approach me are either my enemies or my new employers.

In case you didn't know, I'm actually a vagrant, a person who would do almost anything, like cooking, cleaning, delivering a package, or some other menial task for a few petty dollars. Money weren't really needed here in the slums since barely anyone sells anything useful. Well… at least not for me.

A few moments later, I began to hear some strange noises coming from the nearby house. The tenants there often changed by the week, but now it seemed like it they were changing it to days. I saw two men wearing black leather jackets with a snake symbol at their backs. Those guys definitely had to be members of the Verdon gang, but from my point of view, they seemed to have joined in recently. They were dragging a girl probably in her mid teens through the road and into the house. She was trying to struggle to break free from their grips but they seemed too strong even for her.

Once they dragged her into the house, they placed her on the table and began tearing off her clothes. I could not bear to watch what would come next so I quickly closed the window and looked at the poster of the Old Bellwood sign. I knew I could take on those guys alone, but starting a fight with the Verdon gang would probably just be like signing my own death contract. I had the power to overtake them and overrule this whole district but I did not want any attention drawn to me. In truth, could just wipe out this entire district off the face of the map with just a simple push of my watch…

… or should I say… the Omnitrix.

Yeah, this little green machine may not look much, but it's the only thing I have left on me. To tell you the truth, this little machine here could actually transform me into different kinds of alien heroes. It might be hard to believe but it's the truth.

As I looked back up onto the poster of Old Bellwood, I lost my own thoughts in its beauty, as if trying to leave this world ahead of the others.

The question in your head right now will probably be like this.

'How could such a peaceful community like this turn into a nightmare realm?'

Well it probably started when the mayor decided to cut the power to the district. At first it was all fine, since a lot of us could live with generator powers for a few weeks. But then came the water problem. The mayor of the city told us that the city was under shortage of water and decided to stop the flow in Old Bellwood. A lot of people began to complain and soon, revolts were being formed right in downtown to testify against this injustice. Everyone thought that the mayor would soon come to his senses and undo what he had done, but he only made things worst. He then cut off the Old Bellwood and placed an iron wall around the district to keep the people away. After that he isolated the place, not even allowing a single person, even a police officer to go in there without a good reason.

With no electricity, no water, and no protection, the Old Bellwood district became a lawless land. A place where people were no longer bound by the laws of the country, a place where all chains can be cut without regret, a place where only the strongest… can survive… and that… is what turned the district into a pile of garbage you see now.

After a couple of minutes later I noticed that the struggling sound had already stopped on the other house. I took a peek through the hole on my wall and looked as the two men exited the house with evil grins plastered on their faces. The girl that they took inside was no longer there. It was either they let her go when they were done with her or her body floats among the riverbanks.

When people die here in the Slums they are not given a proper burial. Instead, when a person dies, the looters would immediately swarm onto the victim, taking their clothes and whatever belongings they could find in that person. There was once a chapel here near the entrance of the district. The priest there would gladly bury whoever died and even though he did not know their names, he would still slab a stone up his grave and mourn for the deceased. But now, the graveyard was already full to its maximum capacity and the chapel had been turned into a gang base. I do not know what happened to the priest or even know that he still breaths, but some how I knew… he was probably the last decent man to live in this accursed place.

After another ten minutes had passed, I soon noticed that my food was already done. With speed of lightning, I ate through my meal faster than a pack of piranhas eating a cow. The fish I had taken hours to catch was instantly gobbled down in just about thirty or forty seconds.

"Thank you lady luck" I said to myself before going out of my house. As I expected when I came out, there was a dead body lying right on my doorstep. It was an old man who was probably trying to find a place to sleep, and when he was about to knock on my door, that must be when the grim reaper came to take him.

I wandered near the shores of the district, where the beggars fished for their daily meal. But this was a disaster waiting to happen. When one person catches a fish, the others would come and tackle him just to get a bite off its gills. This was probably why I couldn't really 'Go Hero' any time I wanted. I couldn't really tell who the victim was and who the benefactor of the incident was. Another reason would probably because I…

"Hey!" I stopped mid sentence of my own thoughts as a voice echoed behind me. I turned around and saw that there was another group of gangsters battling each other for supremacy. I ignored it and continued to take my morning stroll.

I looked out of the shore and saw Bellwood University just on the other side of a thick chunk amount of water. It would be so easy to escape from here by just swimming over to the other side, but the last five people who tried it, didn't even made it a quarter of the way when the sharks came for him. If it wasn't the sharks that would get you, then it would probably be the snipers on the watchtower or the gun boats patrolling the sea. The mayor had made it clear that no one escapes the district unless they pass through the main gate, which I do a lot of times. I never go pass the industrial district unless of course if my job requires me to. The pay was minimal but at least it was honest work… I think.

Just as I passed through the fishing area, an old worn down newspaper suddenly slapped against my face, covering my sights. I got annoyed by its flaps and immediately tore it away from my face. At first I would've just thrown this piece of junk away, but when I caught a glimpse of the head line page, I became intrigued.

After analyzing the first few sentences for a minute, I realized that this wasn't just any normal newspaper. This was actually a newspaper from four years ago. It was a relic, an antique!

'Head Lines Today'

'Alien Hero Saves Orphans!'

'Who are they?'

The picture on the front page was one I would've treasured forever. It was a picture of XLR8, one of my hero forms smiling with a bunch of kids. I remembered that day well. The orphanage was burning and there were still some kids trapped in there. At first I planned to turn into Upgrade, another one of my alien troops and morph with the fire truck to help cook things down. But as usual, the watch doesn't always follow my every command so I ended up turning into another different kind of alien.

But now you're probably wondering… how could such a hero turn into a street rat like this? Shouldn't heroes have like super cool mansions to hide their true identity? A base of operation with tons of gadgets to fight against evil doers? Well… to be honest I used to have all of those and more, but they're gone now and I barely even have a penny to call my own.

"Hey Ben!" a voice called out to me as I turn to the streets. I jerked my head around and was immediately greeted by a twelve year old kid named Wallace. He had blonde hair, pale skin and deep brown eyes. He was probably one of the last decent people around here.

"Hey Wallace…" I greeted back with a smile, "Shouldn't you be with your sister?"

"Nah, Alex's got the cold so she's staying home today. Don't worry I made sure I hid her real well under our new hideout"

"Oh… alright then" I replied boringly and then I continued walking. I could tell that Wallace was still following me behind so I stopped and looked at him, "Do you want something from me?"

"Aren't you gonna do something good today boss?" he asked with glittering eyes. "You know… like turn into one of those alien dudes and…" I immediately covered his mouth to stop him from saying more. The kid may be well, but sometimes his mouth just keeps blabbering without stop, "Oh… sorry…"

"You do know that only you and your sister knows of this right?" I asked cocking up a brow.

He nodded back dumbly, "Of course! So what are you gonna do today? Go out to the other districts and punch off some goons!? Or or… maybe you can hit those pampas windbags over by the power generator?"

"No and no…" I answered, "Today I'm just gonna go to my field and tend to my farm"

"Oh cool, can I help?"

"Why don't you go and help your sister instead?"

"Oh come on Ben. A guy's gotta have his pride too you know" I would've laughed when he said that to me a few years back. But I knew that he meant it. A year ago, I saved his life when he and his sister were being chased by thugs from the Verdon gang. I chased them away, but it was only by accident of course. Ever since then, the kid and his sister had wanted to pay me back with whatever help they could provide. Heck, they were even ready to help me rob the bank of the city if I asked them to.

"Alright, you can tend to the cabbages" I answered finally, "You make sure there are no worms and I'll make sure they're taken care of"

"You got it boss!" he saluted and followed right back to my garden.

**(Bellwood University) (Girl's dorm) (Thursday) (Author's POV)**

A few days had pass ever since Gwen moved in to the girl's dorm. Usually she would've took this time to explore and learn more about the school and its teachers, but instead she used up her remaining time to find out about the alien sightings that has been going on around the city. She went to the downtown district and began asking the locals there if they saw anything, but most of the information they gave out were usually irrelevant or redundant.

It was true that the aliens they saw were real and that was good enough for her. She then went to the local police office and asked the chief there if there were any clues to where the aliens might've originated from. Surprisingly for her, the chief was very cooperative and was kind of happy to have such a vigilante on his side. With him around, crimes in the districts other than the slums have lessoned substantially.

After gathering all of her necessary data and information, Gwen decided to return back to the dorm to conclude her reconnaissance mission. The room that she was meant for sleeping and private use had been turned into some sort of a base of operation. Her bed was full of newspaper articles relating to the aliens that had been seen throughout the city, her study tables had pictures of all the different aliens that had been appearing and the wall that had been sparkly clean was now littered with maps of each of the districts.

Once she entered her room, she immediately locked the door behind her and picked out a pack of cigarettes from her sling bag. The dorm didn't have any no-smoking policy so she didn't have to worry about others finding out. After lighting one stick up, she picked out her cell phone and speed dial one of the numbers on her list. The other line rang for a few minutes before someone finally picked it up. "Hello?" came an old man's voice.

"Grandpa Max? It's me… Gwen…" she answered back.

"Gwen! I'm so glad to hear from you! I didn't expect you to call so early!" said the old man who was referred as Max, "How's the academy? Is it alright there?"

"Yeah… class hasn't started yet" she replied puffing a smoke out of her mouth, "I'm still getting used to the city. It's a lot bigger than I expected though"

"Good good… very good" Max chuckled, "But I'm sure this wasn't exactly a normal greeting call"

Gwen nodded to herself before speaking back, "I've been doing some digging around the city grandpa" she began, "And for once the 'intelligence' may be right. He's here… I'm sure of it"

"Are you sure? (pause) So the rumors of those aliens appearing in the city are true then? (nod) Alright then… did you find anything useful?"

Gwen walked out to her balcony and looked at the sad state of the slums, "A lot" she answered, "I asked around and found plenty of information. Ben is definitely here"

"Are you following a hunch or is it just plain superstition?"

"I knew you were going to ask that so I went to some of the crime scenes as well. I found traces of Omnitrix energy" she could already imagine how her grandfather's expression would be, "It's feint but it's definitely the same"

"Well… this is indeed a big breakthrough for the Plumbers" Max replied feeling a bit shaken, "Now I know that your mission is important, but don't let it get to your studies. Also, don't forget about your job as well. I'll send everything you need from HQ. Alright? Love you… and take care"

"Thanks grandpa. I owe ya one" and with that she hung up and returned to her task of fixing up her room. She didn't want to get caught by the caretaker when she finds out that she turned her room into a base of operation.

**(Slums) (12:14 PM) (Ben's POV)**

I walked out of my cabin again today after having a full course meal of cabbage soup and cabbage stew. Sure, they didn't have a lot of flavor but once you try them once in awhile, you kind of get used to it. I whistled out my favorite song through my mouth and wore my favorite long brown winter jacket. It was mid afternoon so probably, everyone was out having a tan or something. During this time of day, everyone would want to get warm as soon as possible before night hits. If you think its cold during nights, just see how cold it gets during winter.

I huffed out a cold sound and slowly made my way towards the river banks. I ran out of lures to use for my fishing rod so I had to fish things the easier but more dangerous way. I had to turn intro Ripjaw, my aquatic alien form. Unlike the other aliens I have, this one was only used during my underwater operations. It had gills to make me breath without drowning, and large jaws to rip through even the toughest steel hence the name Ripjaw.

As I found a quiet spot under a few layers of stones, I quickly took off my favorite jacket and stretched out a little bit to get the stiffness off my skin. When I made sure no one followed me I quickly transformed so I can have something to eat for dinner tonight. If I was lucky, I will be able to catch enough fish to feed me for a whole week.

But unfortunately, the water here was not very inviting. Not only was the place cold, it was also very dirty and the sharks in the area made it impossible for me to hunt peacefully. After swimming through several corals and obvious tunnels where fish would hide, I was able to score a salmon and a few goldfish to my granary. I kept those little guys in my large mouth and let them stay there for awhile. In a matter of minutes they would soon run out of water and eventually die. I know it's cruel, but this is the way for me to survive.

Once I knew they were dead I immediately head back for the surface but wouldn't you know… one of the sharks was chasing me! "Oh crap" I thought out to myself. I could've easily killed that shark, but right now my body was too weak to even fight. I needed to save up my energy for swimming. If I run out of power now, then I can kiss my ass goodbye.

I swam as fast as my tail could take me and trued to make it back to ground level. But as I approach the beach, two more sharks appeared and noticed my presence right away. As if I wasn't having enough problems as it is! I easily dodged their bite attacks and swam faster. An alien fish was always faster than these guys… and once I was able to hit the sands, the predators soon give up the chase.

"Phew… talk about a close call" came a voice I recognized easily. When I turned my head up, Wallace waved at me with a goofy smile on his lips. "So what did you catch today boss?" he asked me with a smirk. I frowned at him and quickly turned back to my human form.

"What do you want now Wallace?" I asked annoyingly, "If you want food, you're gonna have to get it yourself" I know it was cruel for me to say that, but it was the truth. If the kid wanted to survive he had to look for his own rations and not depend on others to feed him. If he couldn't do that then there was no way he and his sister could remain here any longer.

"Oh don't worry about that" he replied to me waving his hand around, "I already ate with Alex this morning. I stole a couple of spam cans from a Verdon gangster last night. I beat him up so bad he didn't even know what hit him!" I find it hard to believe for a ten year old kid like him could actually take out a full grown man. "Let me guess" I smirked at him, "The guy was probably goofing around with food on his pockets and he was also probably half drunk. You were just walking by and saw him feint and with no one looking you looted his body. Am I right?" the blonde haired boy looked back at me amazed on my deduction.

"How'd you know that?!"

"Because that jacket you're wearing doesn't belong to you and it reeks of beer and whiskey" I explained to him gesturing to the black leather jacket he stole from the gang member, "It's probably best if you just burned that thing Wallace. You wouldn't the gang following you again now would you?" he nodded back and quickly tossed the jacket into the river. "Man… for once I thought I did something cool"

"There's nothing cool about stealing Wallace" I lectured him, "Stealing is a crime and crime must be paid"

"Oh come on! That guy probably stole all those things from someone else!" the boy reasoned out well which made me hard to find a well placed reply. It was true. If you steal from a thief, does that make you a thief? I chuckled at him as he looked back at me with a serious expression on his face.

"Alright… you win Wallace" I admitted, "You wanna have lunch? I can share these salmons with you if you want" his eyes widened with delight almost instantly as I said that. "Really!?" he inquired to which I nodded back in reply, "Yes… but bring your sister along too. We wouldn't want her to miss out on a good meal" but just when I was about to head out back home, the town bell suddenly rang out telling the people what time it was. I looked back and widened out my eyes making them pop out like those in the cartoons.

"Oh shit…" I cursed, "I'm gonna be late for work! Wallace, you take these fish to your sister and start a fire. I'll be with you shortly. Make sure no one else sees them!"

"Oh cool!" he replied, "Are you gonna turn XLR8 again?" I changed instantly to the form he requested and dashed off like the wind.

If you guys are wondering what my job was… then let me tell you. I do a lot of odd jobs around the industrial district but this one was a little different. If I was lucky, I might just be able to get this job permanently and get myself a new apartment.

It was a pizza delivering service. Sure… it was simply… but it could still make my life a whole lot easier to live. By the time I got there, I still had about ten minutes to spare. I shifted my gaze up and made myself look proper. Once I entered, the aroma of pizza and cheese drifted to my nose making my stomach growl. I shifted the smell away and turned my attention towards the office. The boss was expecting me, that much I was sure about.

"Hello?" I greeted out to the chubby looking man behind the desk.

"Who are you?" he asked in a mafia godfather manner. I kept my temper check and entered. "Uh… I'm Ben… you hired me for the delivery service"

"Oh yes yes I remember" the boss sighed, "Sorry Benjamin, but I'm afraid your services are not required here" I raised my brow in shock, "Apparently the job was already taken by one of my employee's nephew. He needed the job to help pay through college you see. So I'm afraid that job is already taken down"

"Oh… I see…" I looked down towards my feet looking a little disappointed.

"But if you want, I can hire you for a janitor" he offered. "We need someone to clean up after the customers leave"

"Sorry… I'll try to find some other work" I didn't want to stay in there any longer than necessary. Being a janitor was good too but somehow it just didn't feel right for me. After I left the pizza parlor I put my hands back in my pockets and head on home. Today couldn't possibly get any worse than rejection from a job.

But just when I was about to go XLR8 again, another voice called up to me. "Hey Ben!" I jerked my head around and noticed several workers carrying heavy loads waving at me. The guy who I worked with at factory approached me, "Listen… are you busy right now?" I shook my head in reply, "Good! Cuz I got a job for ya!" I was immediately all ears to him. I would never refuse a job from anyone as long it was honest money. "I got my shift full right now and it seems like I forgot to make a small delivery of things to the downtown district. Can you deliver this over by the Notrol hotel?"

"Notrol hotel?" I questioned out, "You mean that five star hotel on main street?"

"Yeah that's it!" he smiled, "Get it there in one hour and I'll give you ten bucks! How about it!?"

"Make it twelve and we got a deal" I counteroffer to which he accepted. "DEAL! Just tell the clerk that it's from Damien corp. and give him this" he quickly handed me a small box with books in it and headed off back to the factory.

Looks like this day wasn't gonna be so bad after all.

"One hour… please… I can get there in one minute" with no eyes watching me, I quickly turned into XLR8 and dashed off towards the hotel.

**(Downtown district) (Gwen's POV)**

After cleaning up my room and making sure all the suspicious devices and gadgets were well hidden from prying eyes, I quickly left for the downtown district to do a little more digging on these alien heroes that have been appearing now and then. I had some of my textbooks with me and some of my more personal notes just in case I forgot something. The place sure was busy during the holidays and everyone was either shopping or just sightseeing.

Today I was going to do my investigation in a hotel called Notrol. Apparently that place caught on fire a few months ago due to a generator power surge. A lot of people were trapped on the higher floors and there was no way anyone could get out. But when the fire fighters were about to abandon the place a bug-like alien appeared and rescued everyone who were trapped inside. But not only that, the alien also put out the fire using some green gross slime from its mouth. Although it took a week to get the stench out of the rooms, it was heck of a lot better than rebuilding the entire hotel from scrap. The hotel manager must be really grateful for that alien.

By the time I got inside, I immediately approach the head clerk of the hotel who was dressed in a red suit. "Excuse me sir…" I greeted, "I'm looking for the hotel manager. Is he available for the moment?"

"Do you have an appointment with him madam?" he asked in a semi-gayish tone.

"Umm no" I admitted flatly, "I just came into town and wanted to ask him a few questions. It's a completely unexpected drop in"

He looked back at me for a moment before letting out a girly smile, "I'll see what I can do. Please wait here for a moment and I shall return to you" he slowly wiggled his body away and went through the officer door faster than a dog. I put my purse down and waited since I didn't really have anything better to do. There were a lot of elite class family members in this place so it wasn't a surprise seeing that it was a five star hotel. There was a spa on the sides, a restaurant at the corner and several armed guards stationed at every door. Security here was tight and it wasn't really a surprise seeing what happened during that fire accident.

"Excuse me"

I startled slightly towards the new voice that crept behind me. "I'm looking for the head clerk. I got a package here from Damien corp" as I turned around, I noticed a teenager, probably the same age as me wearing a long brown jacket and fuzzy hair standing right beside me. The guy was well built and I could already see muscles coming through his inner shirt.

The clerk on the other side of the desk analyzed the package he delivered and smiled, "Ah… yes… we have been expecting this. The head clerk will be here shortly. Please wait a moment. He's in the office right now"

"Ok…" the boy replied not changing his expression. The features on his face were incredible. The guy practically had muscles on his cheeks and his collar bones were strengthened like he was some kind of athlete or something. Before I even knew it, I was already starring at him. He had such a handsome face and his eyes looked so focused that it could just suck my soul away.

He then shifted his power gaze at me as he noticed my stare. His emerald eyes were so powerful that it paralyzed me into a stone. "Green eyes? What are the odds of that?" I thought to myself.

"Is there something on my face?" he said finally which made me blush. "It's not polite to stare you know" he added with a chuckle. I quickly jolted my head back to the desk lowering my face under my hair. Oh man… I must've really looked like a complete idiot starring at him like that. "Sorry" I apologized shyly. Great… now I'm acting shy, "You just reminded me of someone" I explained.

"Yeah… I get that all the time" he replied sarcastically.

It wasn't long then till the head clerk reappeared from the office. "Excuse me young lady" he gestured to me, "The manager wishes to know that if your questions relate to anything about the alien insect that saved his hotel"

"Well… kinda" I replied honestly, "Is something wrong about that?"

"Well a lot of journalists have been coming to him lately asking the same questions over and over again. Are you a journalist by any chance?"

"No, I'm a student of the Bellwood University" I explained, "I just wanted to ask him for my own benefits of course"

"Oh I see…"

"Why are you interested in those aliens?" I jerk my head back to the delivery boy. "Don't tell me you believe in those things"

"Actually, it's my assignment" I said in a professional manner, "My professor asked me to research about this topic"

"Oh really?" he raised a curious brow at me, "Is school starting already? I didn't even hear the bell ring" I let out a feint blush on my cheeks as the boy hit the nail on my excuse. He was right, the school hasn't even started yet and he was able to read me like an open book. I could not conjure a reply at that moment so I kept silent. The boy grew out a grin and immediately turned to the head clerk, "Hey… I got a delivery for you from Damien corp"

"Damien? Oh yes, the package!" the head clerk replied after analyzing the package, "You're pretty early. I'll tell them that I received the package. What's your name?"

"Benjamin… but they all call me Ben" my eyes widened slightly in shock as I turned my eyes towards him again. Was this all just a freaky coincidence? I couldn't really tell.

"Very well" the head clerk replied, "I'll tell your employers that the package has been delivered. Here's the receipt" he handed the boy named Ben a small piece of paper and smiled cheerfully as he looked inside the package.

Just when Ben was about to walk away I stopped him, "Ah hey!" he turned around towards me with a confused face. "A… are you a student of the academy?"

"Nope" came his instant reply, "Used to be though" he added before vanishing to the streets. I couldn't help but get the feeling that… that boy was… no… it was probably just all a big coincidence. There was no way he could've been my cousin… my cousin who has been missing for five years.

"Miss" the head clerk alerted me, "The manager will see you now" I nodded back and slowly made my way towards the back room. But my mind remained on that boy.


	2. The Cast

Chapter 2: The Cast

**Chapter 2: The Cast**

**(Girl's dorm) (Bellwood academy) (Monday) (06:15 AM) (Gwen's POV)**

Today was the day class started. Summer vacation had finally come to an end and not a moment too soon either. I was getting bored staying in my room for three days straight with nothing to do but read and write and report back to my grandpa every now and then. When I interviewed the hotel manager the other day, I found that he was also semi-gayish just like the head clerk of the hotel. The information he gave out were pretty much useless and for the past five minutes he kept saying how cute I was.

I got up from my bed and immediately prepare myself for class. I assigned all my classes to be in the morning so I could spend the afternoon and evening doing whatever I wanted to do. Also, I had to report to work at the Damien office building on the other side of the downtown district. After work, I would immediately continue my investigation on the aliens that have been appearing in the city.

After tying up my hair and changing into my more proper clothing I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. I could still remember how I looked like seven years ago. My hair was short and there was this annoying bang that kept annoying my face. I had it clipped onto the side of my head but after I went through high school it kinda disappeared one day.

I wore my favorite blue inner T-shirt and aqua berry vest which matched perfectly with my jeans. Some how I felt like I needed to make a first good impression on my classmate and teachers to get a good head start favor or something. After fastening the belt around my waist and applying lipstick on me and adding the final touches of perfume and cologne I quickly made my way out to get ahead of the human traffic that were to come. Mrs. Randolph warned me that right after eight o'clock in the morning, the students tend to bump onto each other like a herd of cows going through a canyon.

I grab myself a little slice of toast from the cafeteria on the ground floor and ate quietly on one of the tables. The place was very quiet but in the afternoon, this place would actually be the biggest and loudest place for all the hot gossips. I spent enough time to know how girls of today act and react. Once I finished my breakfast I decided to wait awhile before I head to the first class of the day. I had plenty of time and the main square island was just a few minutes walk away.

But just when my cup of coffee was getting cold to the wind, I suddenly noticed a girl a few years younger than me walking down the stairs with a pile of books on her hands that went as high as her head. She could barely see where she was walking and her steps were uncoordinated… it was only a matter of time before she lost balance and…

"Ahhh!" and right on cue, the girl quickly lost her balance on the last step on the stairs and dropped all of her books and herself along with them. "Ara nefaldores!" I quickly used my magical powers to levitate her while she had her eyes closed and gently put her down on the ground. "Oh crap!" I said to myself. How stupid was that!? To use my powers in a public ground was so stupid of me! What if someone saw? Oh man… grandpa will never forgive me if my hidden talents leaked out during the first day of school.

Luckily for me though… the cafeteria was empty and the worker in the cafeteria was too busy in the kitchen to even notice. I sighed out loud and slowly made my way towards the little girl I helped out earlier. I could already see that she was confused on how she was able to land on the ground so gently. "Are you alright?" I asked as I helped pick up the books that she dropped.

"Y… yeah… I think so" she said shyly. I knew right then that she definitely wasn't a college student. She was probably still in second year high school or something. "That was weird though. I barely felt a thing"

"Really?" my acting skills quickly went to work on that moment. I didn't want her to get suspicious about me. "That was really a long fall though. Maybe you're stronger than you look" after we finished grabbing the books and getting back up she quickly let out a thank you smile. "Thanks a lot. You saved me from a lot of trouble. I'm Daniel, Daniel Halfore" she extended her hands to me which I returned the gesture.

"Gwen, Gwendolyn Tennyson" I replied, "Nice to meet you Daniel. Are you taking high school here?" she nodded back at me, "Yup! I'm studying at Bellwood high on the other side of town. You must be the alien girl everyone's been talking about"

"Alien girl?" have people been spreading rumors about me?

"Yeah. I heard about it from some students back in the library" she replied, "They say that you've been asking a lot of things about those alien heroes that have been appearing around the city lately" I let out a depressing sigh to myself as she told me about what's been going on around school. So much for first impression! I bet a lot of people are thinking that I'm a lunatic or something, seeing that I research about aliens all the time. Man… to think that this just little topic just dropped the day on me.

"Oh boy…" I groaned out loud.

"Don't worry, I've seen the aliens myself too" Daniel added, "I've seen so many of them I even lost count on how many there are"

"Really?" I asked intrigued, "How did they look like?"

She thought for a moment before lifting up her fingers to count, "Well… there was one made entirely out of green stones, another one who looks like he's on fire, one that goes as fast as lightning and a lot more" she finished counting one of her fingers off with a smile. The description of those aliens resembled that of Diamondhead, Heatblas and XLR8. There was no way that these are coincidences. Ben was here… in this city and he was somewhere nearby.

"Well… thanks for the info Daniel. It was nice talking to you" I waved at her and quickly took my things on the table before leaving her behind. I didn't even get to finish my coffee when I dashed off like that. Man… I'm gonna have one heck of a day today.

"Hello there Ms. Tennyson" a voice came up to me as I approach the bridge. I jerked my head up from the ground and noticed that the two security guards of the dorm were waving at me. I finally knew why Mrs. Randolph liked these boys. They were gay brothers, but just because their girly doesn't mean they're not tough. I saw them catch a peeping tom trying to sneak into the girl's bathroom yesterday and boy was he humiliated to the max.

"Hi Alfonse, hi Edgar" I greeted back with a smile.

"Oh Gwen, a package came for you this last night" Alfonse added remembering it the moment he saw my face. "Edgar here was supposed to bring it to your room yesterday but he ended up sleeping on the job"

"Oh? Who is it from" I tilted my head to the said package which was wrapped in a cardboard box. I then noticed that there was a Plumber sticker on the side which shocked my eyes completely. The Plumber stickers were usually mistaken to be some sort of tag of some cartoon or something, but in truth it actually means that this package was for Plumber agents only. "Grandpa…" I muttered out. I could've easily teleported that package to my room right away with a little incantation but it would be strange if it suddenly disappeared in front of the guards eyes. "Would you mind taking this package to my room?" I asked them, "I have class in a few minutes so I can't really…"

Alfonse quickly raise his hand to stop me from speaking, "No need to say another word" he said with a grin, "Edgar, come on you dope! Take this package to room 12 and make it snappy!"

Edgar, the supposedly big brother barely paid me any mind. He was an honest guy but a little lazy when he had nothing to do but stand watch while people come in and out. "Yeah… sure whatever…" he said lazily and went right back to his slumber. I chuckled as Alfonse tried to wake him up again. Those two were always having a fit with one another which somehow always makes me smile. They were probably my first two friends in the entire school.

**(Slums) (Ben's POV) (07:40 AM)**

I woke up through the sound of banging on my door this morning. It was unusual for me to have guests seeing that I didn't have that many friends around here and I doubt it was the neighbors coming to borrow a cup of sugar for their daily bread. I couldn't exactly go hero right now because it would cause suspicion among the neighbors so I took the next heaviest thing I could find, which was apparently an old vase that I found when I was looting the northern apartments and slowly made my way to the door.

I hoped that it wasn't one of Verdon's gang because I really don't want to mess with them right now. Hopefully they didn't take notice of my secret granary which I built a few days ago to store some of my hard earned food. If they were gonna take it then I hell wasn't gonna give it without a fight.

"Hey boss, are you in there?" the moment Wallace's voice rang from the other side I immediately let out a sigh. Being seventeen years old and living in a dark and creepy place alone like this must've really been getting on my nerve. I put down the vase I was using as a club and quickly unlocked the front door. As expected, Wallace leaped out in his favorite jacket and saluted to me like some kind of drill sergeant. "What do you want this time Wallace?" I asked annoyed.

"Sir, Private Wallace, reporting for duty sir!" he said in a military grade way. He must've been reading one of those military comics that he found in the dumpster some time ago. "I came to tell some news, sir!"

I sighed again and scratch the back of my head with a groan. He was probably referring to some new information he was able to procure. The boy maybe annoying but he did have his uses. Because of his innocent and unnoticeable appearance he would be able to eavesdrop on any conversation happening around the slums. I trade some of my food supplies to him in exchange for these information but only if they were worth my time. I don't know how he manages to listen to everyone in the slums because he never told me. The only clue he'd ever give was that it was a 'system' of some sort.

"You won't believe what I have for you today boss!" the blonde boy quickly made himself at home and placed his dirty feet right on the table in my living room.

"Hey! Don't do that!" I scolded, "It took me three days to bring this table back in here"

"Oh come on boss. It'll probably get dirty in a day or two" he reasoned with that goofy smirk of his, "Besides, I'm the only visitor you're ever gonna get!"

"Just tell me what you know already!" I urged him. I didn't like guests in my house because I had to tend to them the whole time until they leave. "If you don't have any information then I an't giving you squat"

"Alright, easy boss…" he immediately took out a small paper from his jacket and handed it to me. "I overheard some Verdon guys talking about some big moving operation. They're planning to move against the new gang in the church. Said something about girls or something" I knew right away what it was.

The reason for this gang war was probably because of some guy messing in with one of Verdon's girls and now they're paying them back with large interest. Looks like tonight was gonna be pretty noisy. I have to remember to see if there's anything left to loot from the battlefield afterward.

"Is that all?" I questioned, taking my eye off the paper he gave me.

"Yeah… I guess so. News an't coming out much nowadays and the places outside aren't talking to me anymore. So what da ya say boss? Do I get something?"

The info he gave me wasn't really much but I guess he worked hard on getting it. "Alright… I bought a couple of sliced bread the other day. You can take that and take it to your sister. Now get out of here" the blonde boy quickly grabbed the said foodstuff that I placed on the table and tucked it right inside his jacket to keep it hidden from prying eyes. But just before he left, a static sound began to originate from my homemade radio.

"Calling all units, calling all units! We have a code 63 emergency at the downtown district. Three heavily armed suspects have been spotted in a pickup truck and currently heading towards New Bellwood. Be warned… the suspects are armed and extremely dangerous"

If you're wondering why my radio can pick up police radio traffic then I'll answer that question. During times when I'm not really busy I would listen to police chatting just to ease my mind. This is also how I do my vigilante work. When a serious crime happens I would immediately listen up and head right in to their aid. It's kinda like my… bat signal or something.

"Uh roger that central" the radio continued, "Does the suspect have any hostage… over?"

"Negative. The suspects abandoned their hostage at the mall when they made off with the money. SWAT teams are currently on standby and will be joining you if the situation rises"

"Roger that central, we're on it"

I quick switched off the radio and slowly made my way back to my seat. Wallace was giving me the 'are you gonna go hero now?' look. "Come on boss! Go hero already!"

"Nah…" I replied boringly, "The authorities can handle this on their own. Besides… I got enough heat on me as it is"

"Oh… you're no fun" and with that he left the house in disappointment. Back five years ago, if a robbery like that happened in my city, I would've turned XLR8 and beat up those crooks in a heartbeat. Oh man… I could remember how stubborn and hardheaded I was back then. I laughed at myself thinking of how much I had changed since that day.

I walked towards my window and say on my favorite rocking chair right next to the rifle I found several months ago. I managed to find a few bullets for it but most of the time, I just use copper pellets to hunt wild animals that foolishly crawl up into these areas. Rabbits and squirrels were rare in these parts but not impossible. Birds on the other hand were just the thing that kept me going. How do I make these iron pellets you ask? Well it was easy once you know how to make them. Just grab a few coins, maybe a nickel or a penny or maybe just a chunk of rock and boil it over a fire with a stove. Once the hard parts have been weakened, just cut them to about the size of a super small coin and mold it together. Once you're done with molding them, just let them cool off by the window and you got yourselves a bullet round powerful enough to kill a small animal.

I was able to make about a dozen clips of these things and had one ready just in case some punk tried to attack my house. It might not pack a good punch like a real bullet but it's powerful enough to drive off anyone with a good shot on the head or on the groan.

As I looked out my window I suddenly caught the sight of a bird picking a worm from the ground. I grabbed my rifle and loaded the pellets up. One shot was all I needed to take it down. But just as I was about to take the shot, the mother bird took off and went to a nearby tree where its younglings were squeaking. Once I saw that the mother bird was just feeding her cubs, I lowered my rifle and tucked it back on the wall.

"Looks like I'll be skipping breakfast today"

**(Bellwood Academy) (11:00 AM) (Gwen's POV)**

Class ended earlier than I had actually expected today. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since it was the first day of school. We didn't really do much, all we did was just greet with one another and introducing ourselves to the whole classroom and not to mention the teachers as well. Barely anyone showed up in class during first and third period which made the whole place look a lot like a ghost town or something. By the time class ended I immediately went to the central statue to get my mind off things.

The rumors about me being an alien girl flew faster than I actually knew it would. By the time I entered one classroom I could hear people gossiping and whispering about me behind my back. They called me alien geek or alien girl because I took particular interest about the alien heroes that have been appearing every once in awhile during a crisis. But they didn't know why I was doing it. In fact… I already know more about those aliens that everyone here in school.

In case you haven't noted this already, I didn't exactly come to Bellwood Academy because of choice. It was actually just a cover up for me so I can move around the city without being suspected of anything. In truth I'm actually an agent of a secret organization that deals with extra terrestrial phenomenon called the Plumbers. The organization closed down a few years back until my grandfather Maxwell reopened it up again.

I joined up with organization a year after it was reopened and quickly rose through the ranks faster than any new recruit that came through its doors. But I had a special reason though. I was different from all the other newbies and before I knew it, I was already promoted to senior field commander, the highest possible rank for a recruit.

There were also a lot of special privileges too. For one, I could get my hands on the latest gadgets and gizmos the company had. I could command any agent within the vicinity of my mission area and use them to my advantage. I was allowed to call in teams from the main base in Mt. Rushmore and had authorities over any military stations in the country. Heck, I could just call the national guards to come right in through my cell phone.

Just as I lost myself in thought of all these things, I took a look at my wrist watch and noticed that I've been standing around longer than I thought. "Hmmm… thirty minutes… plenty of time" so with that, I decided to head back to my room to check out if the package that grandpa delivered was there.

When I crossed the bridge leading to the girl's dorm, I saw Alfonse and Edgar playing a game of cards over by their station. They smiled and greeted me which I returned the favor back. The dorm was pretty much empty since all the girl's were out doing something along the campus.

As I entered my room I immediately locked my door and sighed out depressingly. It was only the first day and I already got myself a nickname. I wonder what the other students think about me right now. But I simply shook my face up to throw away the thought.

Right now the important thing was the package in my room. Edgar had left it on my bed and he was kind enough to leave everything else where they were. After making sure that no one had snuck in, I opened the package and found myself a super R-397 laptop. It was the standard communication device for the Plumbers. It had instant access to the internet, a portable wi-fi built in its system and plenty of storage room for any information.

As I placed it on my tea table and opened it up, I noticed immediately that someone was calling me through it. I placed the mini earphone on my eardrums and clicked the incoming phone call.

"Please verify identity and password" came a computerized voice.

"Agent number 501, Gwendolyn Tennyson. Password: Wildmutt" I answered back. The computer verified for a moment before popping up a screen. Soon later, I was greeted by an elderly woman who was probably just about grandpa Max's age except with a lot more wrinkles.

"Ah… agent Tennyson… so nice of you to finally pick up my call" she started boringly.

"Sorry for the late reply ma'am" I answered, "I was having class so I wasn't able to report in" if you're wondering who this old prune was, I'll tell. This little witch on the screen of my laptop was none other than Paullina Deadwood. She's my commanding officer and the one who hands me all of my assignments. I've been working with her for three years now and let me tell you that she isn't exactly the woman you want to meet on the field. She may be a good commander, but it was her reckless attitude and cold heart that made her a bi—h. Every agent assigned to her either quit after the first week and the only one who has managed to stay with her for so long was me. I guess I had a knack of dealing with snobs and high-heads nowadays.

"I guess I can forgive you this once Ms. Tennyson" Paullina straightened her face as she spoke, "Since this mission has been authorized by commander Maxwell, you are herby given some of our more 'special' tools" I quickly reach out for the package box and looked at the equipment grandpa sent me. "From the list I have here, you have been given one of our high multi-class stealth suit which allows you to change into any clothing that you see"

"I guess that saves me the time on changing into my pajamas" I joked to myself as I pulled the suit out of the box. It was similar to that of an exo-suit that I saw during combat training back when I new to the organization.

"I don't really have the patience or the time to explain how the suit works agent Tennyson so I decided to send you a manual instead. You will find that this suit might just save your life one day"

"That's ok, I don't really want to hear you yak my ear off anyway" I replied to her very rudely but she was probably used to it by now. If I really showed some manners to her, that'll be the day I tumble and die. "So what else do I have?"

"Under special permission from the chief of Research and Design, you have also been granted a plasma gun. It is currently in the prototype stage so please… do be careful with it" she said in the most sarcastic manner possible. "Other than these equipments you have also been given a cruise lane credit card which should allow you to withdraw at least ten thousand credits a day. You may not withdraw more than that each day Ms. Tennyson. Now if we're done here, I also received word that the commander had made some changes to the operation. Several agents are within the area and you may call upon them at any time. I'm sending you a list now. Don't fail us… Ms. Tennyson" and with that the screen returned to the standard desktop command with several pictures popping back and forth.

But with the mere mention of my second job, I quickly took a look at my watch and noticed that I only have five minutes to the work building. I was supposed to meet with my new boss today and I wouldn't want to be late for my cover up job either. "I crud, I'm gonna be late for work!" I yelled out as I scuffed around my room looking for my things.

There was no way I could make it there in just five minutes, but that didn't mean I had to walk through the front door. So with a quick cast of a spell I created a small magical portal that connects me to an alley near the work building. The place could only take me to areas that I've only been to or seen so I couldn't exactly go anywhere I wanted to. This spell also came in handy when I want to go to the rest room too.

"Alas cuer no protal!" and as I stepped through the portal, I was immediately transferred to the alley in just a blink of a second.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As I dusted myself clean, I approach the building of my work place and entered its door in a proper manner. My office was on the sixth floor so I had to take the elevator there. This building I'm in right now used to be an apartment until the Damien Company bought it and turned into an office building.

There was a great tune playing inside the elevator and the sound had a good beat which made me thump my feet on the floor to the beat of the rhythm. I was quite enjoying it until I finally realized that I had already reached the floor I intended to go to. To say the least I was a bit disappointed.

The office area wasn't much. There were a lot of cube blocks where the staffed worked in day and night and the boss's room was only a few seconds away from me. I know that this was still just a cover up for me, but it had to be done. I knocked on the door a few times and waited for a reply. I wonder if the boss was even in.

"Come in"

I gently opened up the door to an office room with a single air conditioner. In front of me were a wide table and a chair with a person sitting on it. A wild guess would say that this guy was my new boss. He didn't look a lot older than me… heck he might even be the same age as me. "Umm… hi… I'm the new editor for the Damien corp. and I was wondering if… umm… if I should start my work right away"

"Ah yes!" the guy yelled out, "I've been expecting you Ms. Tennyson… or should I say… agent number 501 Gwendolyn Tennyson?" the moment I heard that name, I quickly got into a combat stance. No one but my enemies knew of my identity.

"Who are you!?" I yelled out preparing to attack. But the boss simply waved it off as he stood up from his seat. "Hey… what's with all the hostility? Just because we haven't seen each other in awhile doesn't mean you can go all karate on me" once he stood up I immediately managed to identify him. Blonde hair, freckled cheeks, blue eyes.

"Cooper!?"

"The one and only" he replied to me casually, "But the Plumbers call me agent 138" he added with a smile. I quickly let down my stance and approached him in a friendly manner. Cooper was a friend I met seven years ago during my first summer vacation with grandpa Max. Don't let his appearance fool you though. He may be the same age as me, but he has wicked skills over anything which is mechanical. He also had something that he called a wi-fi built in his head which allowed him to communicate with all kinds of high level technology. At first he didn't really know how to use it and would often resulted into a major headache but after a bit of practice and training he soon was able to control a outsmart a super computer with a blink of an eye.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be still in training?" I asked him with a confused smile.

"Max got me a recommendation" he answered back, "He said that I needed more field experience so he assigned me here to be as your backup just in case. Once the higher ups got word that the Omnitrix was here, they sent out about a dozen of undercover agents for support"

"So does that mean you're my new boss?"

"A little something like that" he replied snobbishly, "I may be your superior during your undercover job, but it'll be you who call the shots on the mission. I already forwarded my number to your laptop so you can contact me if you have any trouble. But enough about that. Let's get down to business" he quickly returned to his desk as I took the chair opposite of his table. "To keep you on the down low, I decided to give you an assignment so that no one will suspect of anything about you. Your job is to investigate about the recent aliens activities that have been going on around Bellwood. The deadline for the job would be… umm… two months"

"Isn't that the same as my Plumber job?" I joked at him.

"Kinda" came his quick reply, "But just in case. Try to make some friends around here to ease up the tension. You don't really need to work here. Just show up once in awhile and I'll share with you what I got. Oh and…" he tilted his head around looking for his pen and a paper to write on. Seeing that the materials he needed were missing, ripped out a page from his notebook and scribbled down something hastily. "Here…" he handed the paper to me. "That's my cell phone number on top and below that are a couple of addresses of people who've seen the aliens coming in and out. You might as well start at the industrial district too. That's where they've been seen most of the time"

"Do you really think he's here?" I questioned, trying to find his mood to the mission. Not only was Cooper a close friend to me, but he was also a close friend to… him. Ben. Back during the height of our time, these two paired with each other a lot of times to fight off enemies that couldn't be taken down easily. Ben had the brawn and Cooper had the brain. Together they made a powerful team even without me.

"Hey… didn't you say that you were sure" he countered with his friendly smile. Other than me and my grandpa, no one else in the organization wanted Ben back more than Cooper. Back during the days, these two would actually treat each other like brothers. They were close and some would even mistake them for twins if only they had the same hair and eye color. They did a lot of activities together and hang around a lot during kindergarten. In fact I was certain that he would've traded my mission for his supporting job any day. He really wanted to find Ben… even if it should cost him a limb. "Don't worry Gwen" he held my hand to reassure me, "We'll find him… I know it…"

His reassurance was probably a lot higher than mine but it still managed to make me smile. "Thanks Cooper… you're the best"

"I know" he grinned at me from ear to ear. "Oh that reminds me. You should go to the burger palace in central mall. It's on the first floor so you should have no problem. From what I've gathered so far, Ben has been doing some good deeds there most of the time as well"

"So how do you know he'll show up there?" I asked looking at the mall outside the window.

"We don't" was his answer, "But you know how heroes work. Whenever there's trouble… that's the time he'll come out. Oh and take this with you" he showed me an ID tag with my picture on it, "This will be your cover up identification so no one will get suspicious if you ask any strange questions"

**(Slums) (Ben's POV)**

"Groooannn…" oh… that was the sound of my stomach grumbling after eating a mushroom with no name on it. A few minutes earlier today, I found out that there was some mushrooms growing at the back of my house. At first I thought they were edible and now I found out the hard way. Oh man… I feel like my stomach is gonna explode and my throat feels like they're going to throw up. "That's the last time I'm eating anything from the back of my house again" I said to myself.

Then I suddenly remembered that I still had a few slices of apples left from breakfast. I gave most of my rations to Wallace already but at least he didn't take those. That is until I saw a couple of dirty rats chewing on them. "Oh no… HEY!" the rats noticed me and quickly scampered away along with the apples. "Oh no you don't! Come back here with my… (WHAM!)… apples… ow…" unfortunately for me the rats were able to crawl through a hole on the wall and with my big size I wasn't able to follow them. Man… to think that I could go any lower than a zero-hero.

"Ok… now that was embarrassing" I said to myself. But it wasn't all a lost. As I moved my hands up, my fingers laid on a five dollar bill which I thought I lost days ago… or maybe this was some other person's money? Oh well… finders keepers.

"Oh goody, five bucks" I then tried thinking of a way to use it. "I wonder if burger palace is still open" I took a look at my watch and suddenly came to a conclusion. "Wait… what am I doing?" I would've laughed at myself if I could. Time was no problem for me. It was the only thing I had in abundance anyway. In a blink of an eye I transformed into XLR8 and rushed right to the central mall. One of my favorite hangouts… before everything turned haywire.

**(Central Mall) (Burger Palace) (Gwen's POV)**

I arrived at the designated place that Cooper told me to start my investigation. Apparently, Central Mall was actually the first and most frequent place the aliens were likely to appear. Due to the rumors about those heroes coming around, the place had become quite popular and tourists would come to this place everyday just hoping to get a glimpse of them. But sadly, Ben would only appear if there was a catalyst going on. Knowing that, bad guys don't really appear here anymore.

But let's get back to the mission shall we?

Other than that, Cooper's investigation revealed that Ben had appeared in his alien forms in the Burger Palace. That probably wasn't much of a surprise since it was his favorite fast food joint. I'll never understand that boy and his craze for burgers and fries. I guess boys will always remain boys hehehe. But enough about that. What Cooper really wanted me to do was to ask a guy name Lewis, a clerk who works part time at Burger Palace. He was the closest person who ever made contact with Ben and once even talked to him when he was in his alien forms.

"Excuse me" I called one of the attendants, "I'm looking for Lewis Eddie and I was wondering if he was here"

The guy I just talked to eyed me suspiciously before turning towards the kitchen, "Hey Lewis, you got a visitor!" immediately a guy wearing glasses and skinny figure walked out. "Y… yes… can I h… help y… you?" he stuttered very insecuringly as if he was talking to an alien or something.

"Um yes… I'm from Damien corp. newsletter and I was wondering if I could ask you some questions regarding the strange alien sightings happening around town"

"Aliens?" he eyed me suspiciously, "O… oh! Y… you mea… you mean the h… he… heroes that h… have been coming out a… a… a lot. W…well, my shift d… does… doesn't end in an an an… an hour so… would you mind w… wa… waiting… for m… me?"

"Ok… I guess" I didn't really have much to do anyway.

So while I waited for Lewis to come out I decided to get something to eat since I didn't exactly have any lunch this afternoon. I got in front of one of the empty counters and waited for one of the receptionist to greet me. "Hello and welcome to Burger Palace. May I take your order?"

"Yes, I'd like to have two salad burger and one potato fries please"

"Will that be a value meal ma'am or a regular?"

"Value meal please…" I replied. Once the guy took up the order I quickly scanned and took out my wallet in search for some cash. But just when I took out my leather wallet from my purse, a large figure came to the reception desk next to me.

"Hey Parker, give me the regular" I nearly jolted away when I heard that voice. As I looked back up, I simply couldn't help but notice that it was actually the same person who I met at Notrol hotel. It was that boy again. The boy who looked just like… Ben. "Hey…" I said softly just enough for him to hear.

"Hey yourself" he replied not remembering who I was.

"Didn't we meet at the Notrol hotel the other day?" I inquired, but he simply shot me a confused look.

After a moment of thought he quickly remembered, "Oh yeah, I remember. You're that girl that was supposed to write something about those alien heroes that have been coming around. So you finally gonna tell me the real reason why you're looking for them?"

"I'm writing an article about them for the Damien corp. letterman" I said proudly. At least now I wouldn't be embarrassed about telling him a good cover up reason. I raised my chest slightly to let him see how confident I am about my reply.

But my only reply from him was a chuckle, "Really? Damien newsletter? I thought those guys only deal about facts. I guess they must be running out of stories so they put up a fiction side to their papers hehehehehe" my chest deflated like a balloon with a tiny hole on it as I sank back to my position. It was true, Damien corp. only dealt with facts, not fictione and no one in the world was gonna believe in aliens appearing in just one particular city. Uh… I feel like an idiot. I could even hear some of the other patrons who were lining up behind me chucking.

"Can you get any ruder?"

"Can you tell me the reason why you're researching about the aliens?" he countered with a confident smirk. Oh man… he was good… real good. Everything I tried, he just… bounced it right back at me like a yoyo ball.

"No, because it's none of your business" I huffed my face around and grumbled.

"Hey don't get angry" he giggled, "You were the one who wanted to talk to me first. I'm just replying in my true self" again, I could hear chuckling coming from behind me. Oh man… people might actually think that we're some live entertainment or something. I feel so embarrassed.

A few seconds later, a receptionist arrived. "Oh hey there Ben" he greeted the boy like he was a regular customer. "You want your usual again?"

"Oh come on, you know me Parker" the boy known as Ben replied, waving head up. "Oh and upsize the fries will ya? I'm taking it home with me"

"Ok, that'll be 4.50"

"Here (payment) keep the change. I don't really need it" and with that, the clerk quickly got back to work as the boy turned his attention back to me. "So… you smoke?"

"Oh, does the great one want to talk with me now?" I countered still infuriated by his recent taunts. But the guy simply waved his hand in defense, "Hey now, what's with all this sense of hostility? I was only trying to be nice and you're firing back at me like a cootie queen with its hand tied around its neck" again I heard a large amount of chuckling from behind. Do these guys really find us funny or something?

"Oh that's very attracting" I said sarcastically.

"Hey, I do my best" he replied casually. This guy was really getting on my nerves. It was like he was a trampoline that shot back anything I said to him.

A few minutes, later the clerk known as Parker returned with the boy's 'usual' order. "Here you go Ben. Cheese burger plain with fries and drink and upsized. Anything else?"

"Well… I would really like to order a pineapple pie and some cheese fries to go with that, but I'm running kind of short at the moment. Maybe next time Parker" I chuckled at his order. "Hmm? What's so funny?"

"Nothing" I replied, "You kind of remind me of another guy who orders that kind of stuff" my cousin if you should know.

But the guy simply took out his soda bottles and sipped it right in front of my face, "Really? Well whoever he is must got some really good taste. Maybe I'll see you around some time… lat…" but before he could finish that sentence, a gun shot suddenly occurred, making a hole through his soda bottle. And not only that, but the liquid contents also poured into his burger bag.

"ALRIGHT! NOBODY MOVE! THIS IS A RAID!!" in an instant, six heavily armed robbers disguised as janitors poured into the Burger Palace making the people go into panic mode. "I said nobody move!" again the head thief fired his weapon onto the roof making everyone hit the deck. "Good…" he snickered as he turned to his crew. "Hey, you three go on the back and check the cash register! Come on, we only got a few minutes before the cops get here!" judging from the tone of their voices, this probably wasn't the first time they robbed a place clean.

Just as I lowered my head down to keep suspicions off me, I suddenly noticed that Ben was still standing there starring at his now empty soda bottle. "What are you doing?!" I whispered to him, "Get down or those guys see you!"

"Those 'guys'… just cost me… my lunch" he groaned angrily.

"Hey wise guy!" one of the robbers called to him, "On the floor now! Or I'll put you down there, permanently!" he threatened him with his firearm weapon. Oh man… if only I had brought my gear along, I would've whooped these guys to dust already. My magic could also take them down too but that would be too suspicious. Besides, there were security cameras all around too so doing that would only put the heat on me.

"Ben, get down! These guys are serious" I begged him to get down but the guy was just too hard headed just like……… just like… Ben.

"Oh I'll put something down" he replied tossing his food bag away. "But it's gonna be your face and my fist that makes contact first!" just before the guy pulled the trigger, Ben threw it upward and lay a punch right on the guy's stomach making him crouch for a moment. With the guy down, the boy grabbed a metallic chair nearest to him and slammed it right on his head. "Hey punk, have a seat!" the thief was down for the count that much I could tell.

But then suddenly I noticed that there was another guy aiming for Ben. I couldn't allow that to happen so I knocked the guy's leg off balance and use a round horse kick right on his neck sending him straight to the mirror glass.

"Nice save" Ben complimented, "Where'd you learn how to do that?"

"Martial arts training during high school" I replied with a smirk, "What about you? Street fights?"

"Hmm… close… but not quite" he grinned back at me.

"Who are these guys!?" the boss grumbled. "Hey you three, take them out now!" the one's that were stealing from the cash register hastily made their way back with their weapons in hand. But Ben and I were probably more than a match for them. I could tell from the boy's stance that this wasn't the first time he dealt with these kinds of low lives and probably won't be the last either.

"Hey, do you think they're hungry?" he said to me, which made me confused. But when I saw the food on the table I instantly knew what he was planning to do. Food for weapons. "Works for me…" I replied.

"Hey tough guy! How about a burger!" Ben quickly tossed a burger right onto one of the goon's face stunning him for a moment. "Hey no biggy. Why don't you just chill out!" he then grabbed two packs of chilly sauce and fired it right in front of his eyes, making them burn. "AHH! My eyes!"

"Would you like some fries with that!?" I stated as I picked out a packet of French fries from the table and lodged it towards the other goon. After that I picked out a soda and tossed to the ground making him slipped and fall. "Here, why don't you have a drink?"

Just as Ben and I took down the last of the goons down, we grinned at each other like partners in a battle. But then his smile quickly disappeared when he noticed the boss of the gang aiming his pistol at me. With speed that could actually match XLR8, Ben pushed me aside as the bullet fired away. I really thought that he would die, but luckily he was able to block it with his arm. There appeared to be something metallic strapped onto his left wrist but I couldn't tell what it was due to his jacket. "DIE YOU LITTLE FREAK!" the boss again shot at him laughing along the way.

But it seemed liked Ben was invulnerable. He was able to block each shot with the thing on his wrist. I should probably remember to put one on just in case something like this should arise. It was very handy and not to mention stylish too.

After ten seconds later, the boss of the gang soon realized that he had emptied his clip. "Is that all you got punk?" before the 'punk' knew what hit him, Ben gave him a punch so bad that it sent him crashing down the area. Once he was sure that he was down, he offered me his hand which I gladly accepted, "You ok?"

"Yeah…" I answered, "Thanks…"

"No problem" he replied with a grin, "Well it looks like I took out four and you took out two. That means I win"

"And since when were we starting to count?"

"Since the time you joined the fight" he countered. "That means you get to buy me lunch. Oh and let's not forget that I saved your life back there" but just when he was smirking at me like a goofball, I noticed that the ring leader wasn't exactly done with the fight just yet. I quickly grab a plate from the table and threw it right at Ben. But as expected he dodged it. "HEY! Watch where you're throwing that!" but when he looked back to the boss of the gang, he realized that he almost got shot.

"You were saying?" I stated sarcastically which he admitted.

"Alright, fine I guess we're even now"

"No way buster! I took out the ring leader. That should be worth two points" I shot back.

"Say what?! No way am I gonna let you take credit. I saved your life first, you should be grateful"

"Pa-lease! You wouldn't last two seconds without my help"

"Oh and who was the one telling me to get down? Oh that's right! It was you!" he smiled at me goofily like… like… like… like Ben! Oh man if there was a contest to compare him, he would've won first prize already.

But right before we could continue our argument, the local guard force arrived to take control of the situation. When Ben noticed them he quickly put his hood back on and took his leave. But before he went out the front door, he picked up a pineapple pie that was clumsily put on the floor. I wonder if he was gonna eat it.

"Ah hey wait a minute!" I called out to him, "Where are you going?"

"Sorry, the authorities makes my skin crawl. So if you don't mind, I think I'll head off now. See ya!" and before I could even say a word. He dashed off. He was such a strange boy… but yet somehow… he seemed sort of… familiar.

Just as I watch the police haul the bad guys away I noticed that Ben had dropped his wallet on the ground. "Tch… what a clumsy goat" I opened it, trying to see if there was anything in there I could find. But strangely enough… there was barely anything there that could prove worth. There were no IDs no address, only his first name written on the price tag that was still strapped onto it. There were only a couple of bucks and some loose change and a piece of paper that says… 'Don't Ever Go Back' it was kinda creepy. Either this kid was psychotic or he's been watching too many horror movies. Seeing that the guards had their hands full I decided to give the boy back his wallet. He only had a minute head start so he couldn't have gone far.

And right on cue, I found him right near an empty flower patch right next to the flower shop. "Hey Ben!" I called out but he didn't hear me through all the shouting from the customers. He couldn't see me either but I could see him perfectly. Just as I was about to approach him, he slid the sleeves of his jacket up revealing a cool looking wristband. But as I got closer, a bright green flash emanated from him. My eyes widened with horror at what I saw next.

It was… XLR8!

That boy…… was really Ben! My Ben…

"Ben…" I said softly still in shock. "Ben…" I muttered out a bit louder but still was loud enough. It has been so long… so long since I saw you and here you are, standing right in front of me without even knowing who I am. My legs shook wearily as if they were on the verge of breaking down. I really wanted to shout out his name to get his attention but my lunges froze as making the words dry up in my mouth. I felt tears running down my eyes like two streams of waterfalls in the amazons. "Ben… Ben…" I coughed out the name but they still weren't loud enough. Every second that past by seemed like hours and his movements slowed like they were put in slow motion. My mind was a blur and my blood felt like they had been turned to ice. I couldn't do anything!

Just as my cousin dashed right off, I finally regained conscious of myself and screamed to the top of my lunges as if I was calling to the heaven's to strike me down with a lightning bolt. "BEN!!" the shockwave of my voice did not alert anyone other than the boy who I was trying to get attention of. I knew he heard it because he paused for a second there looking at where the voice was coming from. He looked around for a few seconds through the large crowd, but he couldn't see me. 'I'm over here Ben' that's what I wanted to say to him, but I felt so weak that my bones are just dying to fall. After a few seconds later, he shook away the voice and dashed right off with the speed of light.

There was no doubt about it now. That was him… that was Ben…… my…… Ben……


	3. The Bad Cast

**Chapter 3: The Bad Cast**

**(Cooper's lab) (The next day) (03:50 PM) (Gwen's POV)**

A few hours after that little incident at the Burger Palace, I immediately head to Cooper to file in my report. To say the least, he was quite surprise to hear that I had found Ben in such a short notice. The police force were everywhere that afternoon so I was only able to talk to him through my laptop. I cherished that look he had on his face when I told him that I saw Ben. He was so happy that he almost went onto a verge of crying. I understand his feelings for Ben, they were probably just as deep as mine.

Once I arrived at his office, I explained everything in brief detail to him to which he found hard to believe. After I finished my long term speech he and I quickly took the elevator to a secret floor that could only be accessed through a super secret button bashing on the switches. As the elevator took us deep down towards the ground floor, I immediately handed him the wallet that I found in the crime scene in a plastic bag. It was standard procedure to put those in contained bags to keep the evidence clean and any traces untouched.

"So you're sure this is really Ben's wallet?" he questioned as he analyzed the things inside the plastic bag.

"I'm sure…" came my solemn reply, "He turned into XLR8 right in front of my eyes and…… and… I couldn't stop him"

"Well we shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet" he told me, "I'll have this thing analyzed for DNA. It could take awhile so we'll conclude today's session" after waiting for a few more minutes, the elevator door suddenly opened up revealing me to a large basement room that was hidden from the other employees.

The place was huge, that much I'll say. There were a lot of high-tech gears and so many computers that it would take about two dozen workers to get this place running. There was a giant monitor screen on the east wall overlooking all of us so that whatever was in one of the computers would be shown there. There was also a large training room on the other side which was just a short stairs walk down.

"Wow…" that was the word of the day for me. I never really knew that a place like this existed inside an old apartment building. "What is this place?"

Cooper turned to me and smiled, "Oh didn't they tell you? This building we're standing in used to be a mini hospital until it closed down due to lack of funding. This place used to be a morgue and once they turned it into an apartment it became a hideout for a hidden criminal organization's counterfeiting operation. When the FBI raided the place the apartment closed down and the Damien corp. took over. So now, I'm using this place as my lab"

"Great… a storage for dead people then a illegal racket area now a Plumber's lab" I groaned disgustingly about the room's bad history, "You really know how to pick a spot Cooper"

He chuckled, "Why thank you" he then focused his mind onto the computers in the room and with a blink of an eye, they all turned on and begin to activate on their own. "Alright… let's see" he slowly put on his personal lab coat and cotton white gloves and a flu mask to keep his germs to himself. He then took out a pair of tweezers from the operation table and analyzed the contents of the wallet. "Hmm… well there's nothing much to see. A few one dollar bills, six quarters, nine nickels, three pennies and… hello… what's this?" he then picked out the small piece of paper that was crumpled down inside the ID holder. "Don't Ever Go Back" Cooper read the words out loud, "Does that mean anything to you?"

"If I could read Ben's head, I would've won the Nobel Prize a long time ago" I replied sarcastically. To tell you the truth, I didn't exactly know what Ben actually meant there either. Don't Ever Go Back? There's got to be a hundred places in the world that he doesn't want to go back to and any of them could probably be a hint. "Maybe it's some sort of clue" I theorized.

But Cooper simply shot back a mocking look. "Please… Ben can be a detective at times but he's no Sherlock Holmes. It's probably just something he wrote down to pass the time. Anyway… I'm gonna analyze these now and check on the DNA scans. It might take a while so we might as well look at the incident at the mall this afternoon" he quickly turned to the TV and used his techno abilities to flip through the channels like a living remote control. After awhile, he came to the GNN (Global News Network) and with luck it was broadcasting right at the scene of the crime.

"This is Sandy Taylor reporting to you live at the central mall where… a few hours ago, six heavily armed robbers were attempting to rob a whole floor today" the news caster began, "But a few minutes after the attack, the local security force were able to take down the thugs without losing a single life. There had been several injured civilians during the fire fight but luckily no one was seriously hurt. Some of the patrons say that two teens who looked like academy students were the ones responsible for taking out the thieves. Unfortunately their names will be kept hidden to prevent any vendettas. Back to you Lannie at the station"

Cooper then pressed the mute button up and turned his attention back to his second computer, "What are you doing now?" I asked.

"Hacking in to the mall's security cams" he answered professionally, "There are no secrets between me and the truth. Now let's see… camera number one, hidden cam seven and… aha! Here it is! The Burger Palace cam!" the screen on his computer quickly went to the big giant monitor screen on the east wall so that an enlarged picture would help. "Let's see now… hmm… fast forwarding to the eleven o'clock. (to Gwen) Hey, when did the incident happen?"

"About twelve I think. Maybe even later"

"Ok… I'll go to twelve o'clock this afternoon" he quickly fast forwarded the recording tape onto the exact date and time and analyzed the picture. I scanned through picture, looking at each and every person that came in and out of the Burger Palace. Luckily the camera was facing the cash register and everyone around it in a twelve seconds relapse. After a few minutes of going through, I finally yelled out. "Stop…" Cooper paused and we both looked at the screen. I could see myself walking in and talking to the attendant who then called for Lewis. I saw myself chatting for awhile and began ordering the food.

After a few seconds when I was digging into my purse, Ben entered through the side entrance of the fast food joint and placed his hand right on the counter next to me. Cooper then pause the screen and zoomed in on the boy. "I…… I don't believe it…" his voice matched his words almost too perfectly, "It… it really is…"

Fuzzy brown hair, green eyes, and that determined look… there was no doubt about it… that was Ben… THE Ben I have been looking for… for the past five years of my life.

As I tilted my head around, Cooper let out a small sob sniff like his nose was clogged or something. A stream of tears rolled down his eyes as he tried to wipe them with his hands. He was probably wishing that he could've just been there to get a glimpse of him in person. As the video continued, I began to hear myself talking with him. Damn it! How could I be such an idiot!? The clues were right there and he was right in front of your grasp and you missed the chance to take it… TWICE!! Oh I could kick myself in the rear I would've done it a long time ago.

"He… he really does look like him" Cooper finished trying not to lift his hopes too much.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned, "That has to be him! Look at him, he has the Omnitrix on his left arm!"

"It could just be another watch Gwen" he explained to me, "Once we confirm the DNA on the wallet, then I'll believe it"

I could probably understand why he was like that. Other than me, grandpa and other agents, Cooper had always hoped that Ben would return someday. The poor boy had his heart broken so many times during so many missions that might've involved Ben.

"So… do you know where he lives?" he added to me.

I shook my head in reply, "No… I've only seen him a couple of times during my first week here so I don't exactly know where he lives or where comes from"

"Hmm… I'll take a picture of this and send them to the other agents in the city" after he pressed a few keys on the keyboard, the screen suddenly turned to a map of the entire city and its surroundings. The lights then dimmed a little to keep our focus on the screen. "Alright, what you're seeing now is the city of Bellwood. The other settlement to the north and North West are outlying farms and food stands. The red dots you see now are the number of active agents on the field" with a press of a button a few a couple of red dots appeared on the map, outlying almost all sides of the city.

"Whoa…" was the word of the day. At first I expected Grandpa Max to send about a dozen agents or so… but to send an entire company was almost as if he wanted to take the city. Heck, just about five of us were more than enough to take down the entire defense force with our eyes closed. "That's… a lot" I added.

"A few days ago, there were just about six of us. But then Commander Paullina sent more just in case we needed more man power" Paullina, I should've known. Doesn't she know anything about being discreet? I sighed and let Cooper continue his explanation. "I'll have one agent stationed at the Burger Palace just in case. We have two field agents patrolling the industrial district, another three in downtown, another five at New Bellwood and the rest are scattered around the countryside"

But as I inspected the map area, I soon noticed that that there were two areas that were not marked with red dots. The Old Bellwood and the academy, "Hey Cooper, why aren't there any agents in these areas?"

"The academy is currently off limits" he explained, "We tried getting some of our boys in there but security is pretty tight. You were lucky because your credentials won you a recommendation from the mayor. So you're gonna be the only agent inside school grounds, ok?" I nodded my head back in reply.

"Ok… but what about this place?" I pointed at old Bellwood.

"Old Bellwood has been cut off from the rest of the city" Cooper gradually let out a cough before continuing, "The police force only extends its protection onto the main entrance and the water banks around it. The rest of the district is run completely by gangs, low lives and hobos. We sent an agent there about a week before you arrived. We found him three days later in the central police hospital… he was transferred back to HQ for treatment"

But then I quickly remembered a phrase that Ben mentioned to me before he left.

'_Sorry, the authorities makes my skin crawl. So if you don't mind, I think I'll head off now. See ya!'_

I remembered it as clear as day. It was a perfect place for him to hide from the rest of the world. A large body of water protected it from invaders and only one point of entry that could be watched at any time. Yup… it was definitely a place where he would hang out.

I took down a mental note to look for him there tomorrow. If he was there then he would be easy to find among the rubble houses that littered the area. Who else here would have a high-tech wrist watch that could turn them into ten different aliens?

Just as I moved back towards Cooper, I quickly pulled out my new exo-suit to check out its status. If things should somehow get ugly, I wanted to make sure that I was prepared. But this did not escape the technoid's eyes. "Whoa! That's the new Multi-Class stealth suit!? Wow… I can't believe it! This thing wasn't supposed to go one the shelves until next year!" he analyzed the suit carefully like it was made out of gold. "Wow… soft fabric fiber with a thin layer of adamantium. Self procuring gizzy lights and nearly 18 hours of energy.

"How did you know that?" I asked, "This is supposed to be a classified technology"

"No duh! I was the one who designed it!" he yelled back, "But I got to say, I never expected to see this again until I got back from my mission. I spent all my free time trying to get this little baby together"

"Well that's great then" I added this, "I don't want to waste my time reading the manual so maybe you can just give me the crash course on how to work this thing"

"It'll be my pleasure!" he replied, "We can use the training room on the lower floor" I quickly began putting the suit on until he stopped me, "Hey! Come on! Don't you have some dignity in you? There a changing room out back. Use that!" even though the guy was a mechanical genius, he was still a geek who had his own pride.

I went to the rest room back at the hall and changed into that super suit. Its scaly appearance made me look like a dark snake sneaking through the corridors and I found it to be a little bigger than I had expected. I guess I shouldn't be surprised for an experimental model like this. "Uh hey Cooper" I called out to him, "This suit is a little too big for me"

"Once you put it on fully, turn the knob on your right wrist" he replied still working on something on his computer.

I finally located the knob on my right wrist and twisted it gently. Before I knew it, the suit suddenly skinned in and fit perfectly around my body from neck to toe. I checked myself in the mirror and saw my chest sticking out a little bit. But I guess I wouldn't mind. "Hey… pretty neat" I soon entered the training room that Cooper designated me to go to and stood in the middle of the field. "Ok… so how do you work this thing?"

"Wait a minute…" the blonde boy replied, "The suit is reconfiguring with your form right now. I'm also downloading some clothes so you can wear that twenty four seven" I waited a few minutes later and suddenly the suit began to glow blue like it was run by some energy. "Alright, the suit's ready. We'll get the field done. Listen carefully because this info might just save your life one day"

"Please…" I said sarcastically, "You're starting to sound like Paullina"

"Ok… all systems are… go!" immediately after that word, the knob on my right wrist began reforming into a strange device, blending with the suit perfectly. "Whoa! What is this?" I analyzed the new wristband and found it to be similar to Ben's Omnitrix. "It looks like… the Omnitrix?"

"Not exactly" Cooper corrected, "A few years ago, Ben let me take a look at his Omnitrix for awhile. The designs on that thing allow you to change into any of the clothes you like. I downloaded a few so try them out"

I quickly pressed the activation button and saw the main button push right up. It was definitely just like the Omnitrix, except that it glowed blue rather than green. Blue was my favorite color anyway. After finding one that I like, I pressed the switch and allowed the suit to do its job. In an instant the exo-suit reformed itself on me like some kind of a snake slithering through my clothes. By the time I opened up my eyes, I was wearing my regular clothes again. "Whoa cool! This so saves me the time on changing into my pajamas" the suit's main control vanished from my wrist and turned into a simple watch that allowed me to change into another costume. "Alright, let's try another one"

"You don't need to worry about the energy either" Cooper inquired, "Changing costumes doesn't take up a lot of power"

I quickly changed into another costume and soon found myself in a cheerleading outfit. "Hey… wait a minute" I noted the name on the back, "This is my high school cheering outfit……… Marian? Oh Cooper you devil" I mocked him to which he just blushed back at me.

"Hey I was fourteen, sue me!" he yelled. After changing into a couple more outfits and uniforms from the limitless list, the boy quickly began explaining the finer details of the exo-suit. "Ok, listen up Gwen. That suit is the state of the art weapon and you just can't go around without knowing its full potential"

"Come on, how hard can it be?"

"There are a total of five modes in the suit" he began, "The one you're in is Normal Mode. I lightened up the fabrics on the hand so you can use your magic. You can only change your uniform during Normal Mode. The second one would be Siege Mode. This mode turns you into a living battle tank" I quickly turn the dial on the Omnitrix-like device and switched to Siege Mode. In an instant, the suit began to form up armors on me and in a matter of seconds I was turned into what appeared to be the Terminator Mark five! "You must be extremely careful when using this mode because you'll never know what you might hit. Any questions?"

"Just one" I replied with a chuckle, "Does this armor make me look fat?"

A short awkward pause erupted before Cooper resumed, "Moving on…" he said with a blush, "The third mode is Stealth Mode. This allows you disappear completely through the naked eye. Make sure you use this carefully"

"Sweet" I stated cheaply as I noticed myself disappear after activating Stealth Mode. In an instant I vanished from sight like you would see in magic shows or something.

"The forth mode would be speed mode" he continued with his explanation. The moment I pressed the button to Speed Mode, a rocket powered jet skateboard appeared beneath my feet. I had trained with these things before back when I was still a rookie. SK. Mark II. It was used by the agents to pursue against fast opponents.

"I remember these" I noted, "I had them during basic training years ago. I can't believe we're still using these for seven years now"

"I noticed you were pretty good with them so I added it just in case you needed to chase someone down" Cooper then moved on to the final mode, "Ok… the final mode is Aqua Mode. As the name applies, it takes you underwater. I also believe you know how to use it"

"This is awesome Cooper" I complimented his work. "You must've put a lot of effort into making this. It's like you designed it just for me" a strange silence loomed over the boy as I said those words. Did I say something wrong? I was only complimenting him on his machine.

"Actually…" he sighed out like he was confessing, "I made that suit a few years ago as a gift for…… for Ben" I flinched slightly by his words. I guess it was blindly obvious to me why the boy made it in the first place. "I planned to give it to him on his birthday… but he wasn't around anymore when we came to his place"

"Oh……… I… I'm sorry" I lowered my head in shame. To think that I was wearing something that was actually meant for someone else made me hate myself even more than before.

I know why Cooper would go through such lengths to give Ben this super suit. Back about seven years ago when Cooper moved into Bellwood, he and Ben became the best of buddies in just a matter of days. When Cash and JT bullied him, Ben would stand up to him like a big brother guardian angel. Ben was always there for Cooper and Cooper was always there for Ben. Their closeness during the first two years in school made me kind of jealous at times, but hey… I guess boys their age only hang out with boys.

"Oh don't be…" Cooper replied, "Having his cousin wear it is probably the next best thing" but that statement didn't exactly made me feel any better than I was before.

**(Slums) (Ben's POV) (05:52 PM)**

I arrived not long after that little incident back at the Burger Palace. I unlocked the door and entered my living room with an exhausting yawn. The trip to my favorite fast food joint was just a complete waste of my time. Not only did I attract a lot of attention to myself, but I also lost five bucks due to that attack. Man… its hard getting money nowadays and even harder to find jobs around the industrial district. Well… at least I was able to get a pineapple pie from all of this.

As I sat down on my favorite rocking chair near the window next to my rifle, I took out the said treat from my pocket and began chowing it down my throat. I savored the flavor on my tongue and moaned pleasurely as I swallowed it down. Having a normal meal was one thing but having a tasty treat like this was totally different.

But just as I was enjoying myself by the window, a sudden voice occurred from the side of the room I was in, "Umm… hello?" I dropped my food, grabbed my rifle and aimed at the intruder. Whoever snuck into my place must've either be a very good ninja or a person who I knew well. "Who's there!?" I demanded threateningly not lowering my weapon slightly. "Come out to the light where I can see you"

The presence gladly complied with my demands and soon appeared before me. But to my surprise it was actually just a little girl probably about ten years old. She had one green eye and one red eye, purple hair, and wore a torn down looking T-shirt. Just by here appearance, I could already tell who it was. "Alex?" I spoke up her name to which she shyly nodded. Alex is short for Alexis. She's Wallace's little sister. She was sensitive, fragile and extremely shy to strangers and had a habit of bringing her stuffed bear everywhere she went.

I quickly put my weapon back into the corner and approach the little girl. I had not seen her for a long time and for her to come here must've been really important. "What are you doing here Alex? Shouldn't you be with your brother?"

"Wallace is… is in trouble" she replied emotionlessly like she was but a shell of person. I guess I was probably used to it by now. Back when I first met her, she was also like this. Alex had a hard time expressing her emotions to people so now she's nothing but cold and hard… like a rock.

I sighed out loud knowing full well what trouble the boy was in. "Let me guess… Verdon?" Alex only nodded back to me boringly in reply. "(sigh) All right… wait here and don't touch anything. I'll be back" it was times like these that made me wish I had never met these two.

As I exited my house, I put on my jacket and covered my head with my hood to keep others from seeing me. Where I was about to go now would probably be similar to walking towards the gates of hell itself. I braced myself and readied my Omnitrix just in case if things tend to turn ugly. Verdon's lackeys weren't exactly the welcoming type and were extremely hostile to those who didn't wear their jackets. As I took the first step towards the deep end of the city, I held my head up high and breathed in… hoping that things would go out smoothly.

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Deep within the southern part of the Slums near the edge of a junkyard was Verdon's main hideout. A place you would really call 'hell on earth'. As the sun sets down, the lights in those areas soon come to life. This was the only place in the slums where electricity was present since the last working power generator could be found here. As I made my way near the other end of the district, I spotted the old orange building that was on the other end of the dead garden. The place was known to the people as the border line as it was maximum extent of Verndon's influence.

The dead garden that stood between the neutral areas of the slums and Verdon's territory was amply named because it was the killing field for Verdon's men. Anyone who tried to attack them were immediately shot on sight without any questions asked. Only those who come through the road were safe since the guards could see them from a distance.

I knew that the moment I crossed through that border line I would immediately be in enemy territory. Verdon's men and I had met once in awhile and it usually led to the same result. Violence. The boss of the gang tried to recruit me into his services a few times and offered me to become his second in command. It was a very tempting offer but right then I couldn't possibly even think of joining him.

As I crossed through the road of the dead garden I noticed that the gang raiders were piling up dead bodies on the sidelines to ward off attackers. Stakes were lined up on the end of the road with heads of dead animals and people on its edge giving out the most painful expression of their lives. But those things didn't scare or surprise me anymore. I've seen a lot of dead people here in the slums and more than anyone could possibly know.

When I reached the border line of Verdon's territory, a dozen guards dressed in their famed leather jacket stepped out and looked at me with snickering eyes. The one who looked like the leader of this group approached me. "Well well well… what do we have here… fresh meat, come to join us?" the gangsters laughed at me like I was some kind of joke. Obviously these men didn't know who I am. "What do you want here kid?"

"I have business with Verdon…" I replied coldly not taking my eyes off him. "I'll only be a minute"

"Well Mr. Verdon is busy with entertainment right now and doesn't want to see anyone" the boss of the gang snickered at me, letting out a spit on my jacket. "Why don't you come maybe…… next year? AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" his laugh was so disgusting that some of his saliva was dropping onto my hood.

"I told you… I'll only be a minute" I repeated my threat more thoroughly this time.

But it seemed like that last threat only angered the boss, "Oh… and you think you can just walk in here like you own this place!? You think you're so tough just because you're wearing a jacket" he poked at my chest hardly which made me take a step back, "Who do you think you are?"

Seeing that this was just going to take longer than I had expected, I decided to reveal my identity to them, "I'm an old acquaintance of Verdon" the moment I removed my hood from my face, the boss of the gang looked as if he was going to have a heart attack. Seems like this guy was one of the first who experienced my skills first hand, "Now step aside…" I threatened him to which he hesitantly complied. The other members of the group could only stare in shock as they watch their boss quiver with fear.

I continued my stroll through the living hell of the slums being as cautious as I can be. And just as I expected, the place didn't change one bit since I came here the last time. Everywhere I looked there was gang member talking, yelling, drinking or smoking like there was no law to follow… and there probably wasn't any law at all anyway.

As I made my way through the first block, I began to notice a heavy stench in the area. The building next to me was probably the place where they store all their drugs and alcohol. The smell was so strong and nauseating that I felt a little woozy just walking pass it already.

By the time I reached the junkyard, I knew right away that this was hell it self made by the evil in men's hearts. Gallows made of steel lined the walls with starving victims hanging in them. These were either men who had wronged Verdon or traitors of the gang. They would be left there for the crows to feed on and crowd to laugh at. Barbed wires and guard towers were also abundance, making it almost look like a prison camp rather than a fortress.

As I walked through the main gates of the junkyard, I realized that Verdon himself had made some certain… 'improvements' to the place to fit his psychotic self esteem. Broken down cars and all sorts of junk littered the area blocking the path but making enough room for a passage to go through. Verdon's elite guards were the only ones allowed to carry weapons in this place and with good reasons too. You wouldn't want visitors carrying firearms into your house now, would you?

Verdon's hideout consisted of three parts in the junkyard.

First was the guard rack, the place where all the men and soldiers of the gang take their breaks after a hard days work… heh… if they did any work at all that is. This is where you are likely to come first since the main entrance of the junkyard was through this place. If you look around long enough, you would begin to think that this area could actually hold off an army. Snipers took to the high ground and more than a hundred goons were waiting to take to the field.

The second part of that dirty place was of course… the coliseum. This is where Verdon would appear the most other than his personal suite of course. All of his men and guards would gather here every night to witness carnage, fights, blood and gore. I came here once myself but I didn't exactly like the entertainment. The fighting ground down there was known as the pit. Once a day, Verdon would provide entertainment to his men by throwing a girl or two in there to be violently harassed by the gladiators. Some might call it dirty business, but in truth they call this sport.

The third and last part of the junkyard of course was none other than Verdon's personal place. I've never really seen the place before so details there are low. But the only thing I do know is that he has more than three girls in there once a day.

When I finally made my way to the coliseum I noticed that there was a fight going on below. I quickly put on my hood and joined the crowd to see who were fighting. As I looked down, I quickly got the urge to look away.

Apparently tonight was girl's night and that meant that three gladiator ladies were battling it out for freedom. They were fighting with sickles and knives and playing it dirty in the mud. Since it was going to take awhile before a victor would be decided, I thought that this would be a good time to show you guys who the big dogs were around these joints. Lucky for me… everyone who was 'anyone' were present today.

Over on the other side of my area dressed complete white and surrounded with sluts and whores was none other but Lorry Kent, the dealer of death himself. I never thought that he would be interested in these kinds of entertainment. I probably told you about him before, but just to make sure, I'll remind you.

Lorry Kent owns the only active clinic here in the slums. He may look like a kind and caring doctor at first sight, but inside, he was a drug dealer at heart. He would get kids addicted to his powder so fast that he would be making big bucks in a matter of days. Usually I would never approach crime masterminds like him unless I wanted to beat them up. I had made some normal deals with this… death dealer from time to time but nothing illegal of that sort. Whenever I had illness or wounds from battles I would come to him to get patched up. Right now he currently owes me a few bucks for a delivery job I did for him weeks ago.

Right next to him wearing an eye patch and carrying a sub machine gun on his torso was Bulldog. No one really knows his true name so they just called him Bulldog because of the bulldog tattoo on his shoulder. He was Verdon's enforcer and the head leader of Verdon's entire army. He commanded respect from his troops and kill anyone without any mercy. I know very little of him myself but just seeing the reaction coming from those around him tell me that he wasn't someone to mess with.

As I shifted my gaze to Verdon's throne, I immediately recognize Viper, the assassin. Viper's real name was actually Vanessa but she changed it when she joined up with Verdon. Back when I first came here three years ago, she tried to get me to bed with her once. I thought she was only inviting me for a cup of coffee but when she loosened up my pants that was when I panicked and excused myself from her house. But don't let her sexy appearance fool you. A lot of people died just trying to touch that body of hers and all met the same fate. The only guy allowed to touch her was Verdon, Bulldog and if necessary…… me. I don't really know what she sees in me.

So these are probably just the one's you need to fear around Verdon's gang. Mess with one of these guys and you'll probably have a number placed on your head.

By the time I finished analyzing the others I soon noticed that the match was already finished. Two of the gladiator girls were dead on the floor and one stood triumphant. As I turned my gaze back to the throne, the head hancho of the mob appeared before me.

And there he was… sitting on his golden throne decorated with skulls and snakes vinyl surrounded with three girls was none other… than Verdon himself. His bald head and snake eyes was more than enough to strike fear onto his enemies with one powerful gaze. I doubt his name was really Verdon and I doubt I'll be able to find the truth from neither him nor his lackeys.

"Congratulations are in order!" he began with his speech, "You have bested the others and so forth… you have earned… your freedom…" the girl who thought was going to be free let out a joyous smile as the gate to the pits opened up to her. But her smile soon faded when six hell hounds poured out from it. As expected, she didn't stand a chance. She tried to fight back against those dogs but it was useless. She was too tired and too scared to even lift a finger. She screamed out for help but the crowd only laughed at her. She begged them to stop but the crowd just simply enjoyed the dogs tearing up her clothes. When the mutt ended her cry by biting her throat, a gush of blood came out which sickened me to no end. I guess Verdon kept true to his word. Death… was freedom after all. "Ah! The pleasure of death… I wonder how it feels ahmmhmmhmmhmmhmmhmm…" he snickered very loudly at his audience which humored him to no end.

But her death didn't matter to the audience. They simply cheered out altogether when the hounds feast on her skinny flesh. Once the girl was dragged away from the scene of the battle, I took a look around to see if there were any other competitors for the night. But that's when I saw Wallace in a cage just down below. He was cowering and hiding his face, terrified of the whole fight to the death. Soon later I decided to take this opportunity to make my presence felt through the coliseum.

I leaped down into the pits and shouted out; "Hey snake eyes!" in an instant, all other voices died down as if an angel had passed by. No one would dare to call Verdon 'snake eyes' because it was just a similar as signing your own death contract. Once I called out to him, Viper and Bulldog immediately shook from their seats and starred at me like I was going to be the next dead guy in the coliseum.

"Who… dares…?" Verdon groaned at me angrily, "Who dares call to me lightly?!"

I smirked at him and immediately took off my hood to show my face around. It wasn't a surprise to hear some gasps and gossips from the others members since I was sort of famous around the gang. "Long time no see… V man" the anger and hatred immediately vanished from Verdon's face and was replaced with a warm snakelike smile. That could only mean that he was either happy to see me or expecting me.

"Ah… Benjamin Tennyson, my favorite custodian. Welcome! Please, make yourself at home"

"Thanks, but I'll only be a minute" I wonder how many times I used that line already, "I'm here for the 'kid' named Wallace"

"Wallace?" he tilted his head around confusingly, "Wallace? Hmm… AH! You mean the boy. I have him with me and I was going to feed him to the hounds a few minutes from now. I hope you would stay for the feast"

"Sorry, but that kid's with me" I groaned, "What did he do this time?"

"He tried to steal from ME" he emphasized the word 'me' strictly. "He tried to steal some of my famous baby back ribs and unfortunately his gluttony became his downfall"

"Then would you mind bringing him back to me? He's just a little kid"

"That's what I like about you Tennyson. So naïve so innocent at times" she grinned at me from ear to ear, "But as you might've already know: This place is mine now. I own this district and my word alone is law! The child steals from a king and therefore he shall have a king's punishment. Isn't that right everyone!?" the crowd let out a cheer altogether like a tribe agreeing with their shaman.

"Then how about a trade?" I offered him which silenced the crowd instantly.

"A trade?" he chuckled, "What could you possibly have that will interest me?"

I turned my gaze to Lorry, the death dealer, "Lorry here owes me a favor. I'll set you on a deal in exchange for the kid"

"A favor?" he questioned me before turning to the death dealer, "Is this true?" Lorry simply let out a bored nod back to him. A long silence ebrupted before Verdon spoke again, "Hmm… an interesting offer Mr. Tennyson. But I think you can pull a better deal than that"

I knew that guy wasn't gonna put in with my deal so easily. "Ok… How about I don't kick your ass and set up the deal? It can't get any better than that" Ok… maybe threatening the most powerful gang lord in the entire district was a bad idea, but I didn't want to stay here any longer than anyone does. It makes my skin crawl just standing in this pile of mud.

As obvious as it may be, the crowd gasped up knowing full well that I had done the wrong moves. But then surprisingly, Verdon grinned at me, "I think we might have an agreement there... Benjamin. BRING THE MEAL!"

"BRING THE MEAL!" another one of the goons repeated. And right on cue, the prison bars opened up to me revealing Wallace. Thank god… it looks like they didn't hurt him… yet. Once the guards went back, he rushed towards me and hugged my leg like it was the only thing in the world that mattered.

"You ok Wally?" I rubbed his head gently trying to shake the fear away from the boy. The little guy must've been so scared of death that it shook him to the very core. "Y… yeah…" he replied shaken. As I took his hand, I immediately turned my eyes towards the main exit of the coliseum. But if there's one thing I know about Verdon…… he wasn't going to let me go this easily.

"You may leave now Tennyson" he hissed to me. "If you can… that is… hmmhmmhmmhmm" when my eyes turned towards the gate, the hell hounds that feasted on the gladiator's flesh immediately appeared before me. I knew nothing was going to be this easy… and I wasn't exactly glad that I was right. I turned my head back to Verdon who was still grinning at me like a snake, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! For tonight's encore entertainment: I give you the hounds VS Benjamin Tennyson!!" it wasn't a surprise why everyone here wanted me dead. I was a thorn on their side before and I still was today.

To think that I was still seventeen and already I had a hit on my head.

I then noted that Wallace's hands were shaking in fear. The boy was too frightened to even move from his spot. I guess this must be the reason why Verdon accepted my deal so easily.

I crouched down to the boy's height and whispered into his ears, "Ok Wallace… listen to me. I want you to close your eyes and count from one to one hundred. Think out loud and ignore all the sounds you are about to hear… understand?" the boy simply nodded back to me wiping the tears off his face. "Ok…" he replied with a sob. And with that he began counting.

I knew that I couldn't possibly go hero here or the gang will be coming at me faster than a stink on a skunk, so I decided to grab the crowbar and sickle from one of the dead gladiators around. But soon I realize that this fight was going to take longer than I thought. "Hey, make that two hundred" I said to Wallace as he counted.

As I turned my attention back to the hounds, I quickly noted their skinny figure, uncontrollable drool and sharp razor fangs pointing at me. It wasn't hard to raise one of these mutts. Just get a dog, train it and then starve it for a couple of days and you got yourselves a killing machine. These methods were used during the First World War to train attack dogs in hunting prisoners and deserters…… or was that the Second World War? Oh who cares?!

The moment the hounds leaped up and attack, I cut through one of their throats using my sickle and kicked another one of them to the side. But right now I was really at a disadvantage. Not only did I have to protect myself, but I also had to protect Wallace while he was busy counting to two hundred.

As I tried to shoo the dogs away I suddenly found myself struggling against my opponents. I lost focus and soon found that one of them bit a part of my jacket off, "Oh great! This was my favorite jacket you little wimp!" when the dog came back to attack me I put my crowbar into its mouth and slammed it against the ground about three times, breaking all the bones in its body. "That'll teach you to mess with Ben Tennyson!" two down… four to go!

"Ahh pure entertainment" I heard Verdon snickered as he enjoyed the scene of me struggling against his dogs. On the background I could hear several other patrons gambling away everything they had. Either it was money, ammo, cigarettes or powder it didn't matter. Anything here can be used as currency.

As I cut the next mutt up in half, I turned my attention back to the last three and stood close to Wallace. "Hey Wallace, this might take a little while so make it five hundred will ya?"

"Ok…" and with that he continued counting.

"Alright you little mutts" I growled at them with my weapons in hand, "You made me miss dinner, run all the way to the junkyard, lose a favor that I could've used for a better thing and now… you ruined my favorite jacket! That's it… I'm making you guys dinner!" and when I meant dinner… I meant they… were dinner.

And with that, they charged at me like I was going to be their next meal of the day. I've fought against alien warlords, demons and legions of robots when I was still a kid… how long did you think these goons will last?

I sliced another dog by the gut and threw it to a stake that was hanging on the wall. Once the last two came at me, I slab my sickle right onto its forehead making a sickening bone cracking sound. It couldn't be removed from there again.

When the last of the hell hounds fell to the ground motionless, I picked up the crowbar I dropped on the ground and shuffled my jacket a little bit to get the mud off the sleeves. "Tch… talk about hot dogs…" I then grabbed Wallace and put him on my back as I walked out of the place. I know Verdon still had his eyes on me because of my skill as a soldier… but I couldn't possibly work for someone as dirty as him. But right now that didn't matter. I got Wallace back in one piece and I'm betting anything that his sister is probably worried sick about him.

So this about summarizes everything and everyone you need to know here at the slums. All the good guys, all the bad guys and not-so-bad guys. So if you're ever around these parts at anytime…… please… don't look for me…

**(Bellwood downtown district) (Gwen's POV) (07:20 PM)**

After I tested out the battle suit that Cooper developed for a little while longer, I decided that it was time for me to head back to the dorm. The DNA analysis was going to take a little longer than he expected due to the fact that he was the only working in that lab. After I got my things together the boy escorted me to the library and out the main door.

"Thanks for the help Cooper" I thanked him as I left the building. But he just waved if off, "Oh don't know mention it. It's my job as your backup anyway. The DNA test should be ready by tomorrow. I'll give you a call through your cell phone when it's done"

"Thanks. I'll see you around" and with that, we parted ways.

The city was really different at night. Even though most of the stores and malls were closed there were still plenty of people hanging out the sidewalk as if they were going to party or something. I then remembered that today was Friday and that I had no curfew. I could've just easily teleported my way to my room but instead, I wanted to find a place where I could stress my mind a little. If grandpa were here he would say that it was not a good thing for young teens like us to be wandering around the street because there are a lot of bad people out there. But come on! I've battled robot armies, zombies and warlords from outer space and he never complained about those. What can a bunch of rapist and hookers possibly do to me? Men are such strange creatures… they'll probably do anything just to have their way.

After I stressed myself out a bit on the road, I suddenly stumbled upon a bar which was somewhat close to the building where Cooper was working on. Well… I didn't have dinner anyway so I might as well eat up. I got plenty of money anyway.

Once I got in, I ordered a whole jug of beer all for myself and starred blindly at the river that stood between me and my school. It's been so long since I've waited for this mission and here I am now… waiting for someone to give me a clue. I was planning to head off towards the old Bellwood district but by the time I reach there it would probably be too dark for me to do anything. There were still plenty of leads for me to check up so I won't have to worry if that place leads me to a dead end.

"Excuse me ma'am" came the waiter's voice, "Your order is ready" he slowly put the plates in front of me and bowed politely.

"Oh wait" I stopped him before he left me, "Could I have an ashtray please?" he simply nodded and went to get me the said item. Yup… that's me. 17 year old Gwendolyn Tennyson, an alcoholic and a smoker. Believe it or not, I've been drinking and smoking since I was fifteen. Grandpa was strongly against it but every time I was on missions or a task I would take them as stress relievers of some sort. No one really influenced me to take them… it just kinda happen one day.

As I pop a stick onto my mouth I quickly looked at my purse to search for that damn lighter I keep misplacing all the time. But then I remembered why is misplaced it in the first place. I didn't really need a lighter… all I had to do was wave my finger around and poof… instant fire. It saves me money and time… but mostly just time. After I put my bag down, a picture suddenly slipped out from one of my note books and onto the couch. "Ahh man… what is it now?" I groaned out as I picked it up. But soon my anger and stress disappeared when I looked at the picture.

This was the picture of me and Ben that grandpa took about six years ago. It was during the birthday we were having in some fancy old restaurant that I couldn't remember. Believe it or not, Ben and I were actually born on the same day. Call it fate and just plain coincidence if you want, but it's the truth. Oh… I remember that day like it was just yesterday.

It was just an ordinary birthday at first with caroling and friends and family coming by to greet each other. We had our birthday cake and presents followed soon after. But then suddenly… Ben got an idea on how to make the day more memorable. After he 'accidentally' took the first slice of cake from me, he threw it onto the clown that his dad got to entertain him. Unfortunately he didn't know that his son was still afraid of clowns during that time. The rest of the incident was probably just accidental after that, but boy it was a day I probably won't ever forget. I got creamed by pudding and cake and Ben was smothered with fruit punch and pies.

When grandpa came out to deliver one of his 'famous' worm salad, he quickly took a picture of us right away saying that it was the funniest thing he had ever seen……… and now I can see why…

I wish those good old days would come back again… those good old days when we didn't have to care about anything or anyone else in the world. The days when we could just enjoy being ourselves and not have to worry about the future…… yeah… those were the days.

I put the picture down on the table and puffed a few smoke from my mouth. My eyes remained fixed on the bright full moon right above the sky. This of course… made me wonder about something…………

**(Ben's house) (Ben's POV)**

Exhausting…… that was the word I was looking for when I came back to my house at the slums. I lost a lot of good favors today and only had a crowbar in return. I probably also almost declared war with the entire Verdon gang as well. When I finally made it back to my place, I noticed that Wallace had already fallen asleep on my back as he counted to 305. It was probably like counting sheeps during bed time so I wasn't angry. But I was definitely going to give him a lecture tomorrow when he gets up.

By the time I got back into my place, Alex was already sleeping on my bed still holding her stuffed bear in her arms. I let out a huge sigh and knew right away that pulling her away from that comfy place would just make her sad. She didn't express her emotions too many times but I could tell if she was sad, angry or happy

Since the bed was occupied by one pipsqueak, I decided to put Wallace there too so at least they'll be able to see each other when they wake up. I tucked them in bed and folded the blanket onto them. Looks like I'll be taking the couch this time.

But instead of taking that comfy place, I decided to return to my favorite rocking chair and look back at myself. I really screwed up things this time. By tomorrow I'll probably be having Verdon wanabes trying to earn favor with their boss by defeating me. My head already had a bounty on it so that wasn't anything new to me. But as I reflect on this… I figured out that I was now wanted by both the good guys and bad guys. The Plumber organization wanted me and now the biggest gang in the city wanted me. Man… talk about bad luck.

But… there was no point in groveling about it now. What's done is done: That's what I always tell myself. Tomorrow will just be another day and hopefully… I might still be alive to see it then.

I looked up to the moon smiling goofily. It was times like these that made me wish I had some kind of musical instrument to play. I may not look like it, but I'm actually quite a good flute player.

I practiced playing the flute and several other instruments right after my twelfth birthday. It wasn't of course by choice. I was forced to play them because they were the only gifts I ever got. Gwen got all the good stuff like video games and laptop and everything………

Gwen……

That name alone brings back so many memories. The last time I ever saw her in a normal condition was during that birth we had six years ago. Man… I remember well how I totally that day a memorable one. First the cake on the clown then the balloons popped, all that pranks I set up… man… those were the good times.

But thinking about that particular day made me remember something. I stood up from my chair and approach a cabinet that was hidden beneath a couple of crates that I found on the beach. I opened it and saw the hairclip that Gwen wore when she was still about ten or eleven. It fell off her hair during the food fight on the birthday party and I've been wanting to give it back to her for a long time now but it kinda fell off my mind for a moment. And of course… I never got the chance to return it to her… because of that incident five years ago.

This hairclip was all I had left to remind me of her. I didn't have any pictures or photographs to remember her by, heck I don't even know how she'd look right now if she stared at me in front of my face (You have no idea…) But if there was something I would remember about her…… it would probably be her strong attitude and her geekiness. We were so different yet at the same time we were so similar.

As I looked at this hairclip I couldn't help but stare at the moon through my window. And of course… this made me wonder about something……………

**(Author's POV)**

And so two separated individuals starred up onto the same moon on different corners wondering and thinking about each other……

And in that time… they both wondered the same thing……

'Is Ben looking at the same moon now?'

'Is Gwen looking at the same moon now?'


	4. The Curse of Power

**Chapter 4: The Curse of Power**

**(Slums) (Ben's POV)**

The sound of birds chirping woke me up this morning. I squinted my eyes as the morning sun blotted my eyes as if it was trying to say 'wake up sleepy head'. As soon as I got up I suddenly noticed that I was sleeping in my favorite rocking chair. I must've dozed off when I was thinking about Gwen last night. My back hurt like I just went to an evil massage parlor and my legs felt so sore that it would take weeks before I could feel them again. I still had Gwen's hairclip in my hands… I must've had a tight grip last night ahehehehe.

Wallace was probably still sleeping and his sister Alexis was probably by his side. Whenever I see those two together I could never see the family resemblance between them. Wallace was so full of himself and Alexis was like the complete opposite of him. He was loud as a monkey screaming and Alexis was even quieter than a ghost. Hell… that girl could stand right next to me and I still wouldn't know she was there. She had a lack of presence, which was good since she didn't like too much attention.

As I moved to the back of my house, I quickly began preparing breakfast in my kitchen to see if there was anything left to eat. I still had a loaf of bread left and a can of soda that I was saving for a special occasion, but I think the situation calls for more than just these rations. I thought I would go fishing again but I think the fish would still be sleeping at this time.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worst than this…… I thought wrong…

"BEN!!" I jerked my head around and noticed Wallace down by the stairs with a pale face that would've scared even Ghostfreak himself. I stuttered out in shock. "W… what is it?"

"It's Alex, she's not waking up!"

I hastily made my way towards my bedroom and tossed my clothes aside. Alex was lying peacefully on my bed but it looks like she was in great pain. Her head was sweating hard and her breathing rhythm was completely irregular. It almost looked like she was going to die or something. "What happened to her?" I asked Wallace who was also in panic.

"I don't know!" he replied yelling, "I just woke up five minutes ago and the next thing I knew she was burning up!"

I reach out for the girl's head with my hands and tried to get her temperature. Just as I expected, she has a fever. Her head was hotter than my fireplace and it looks like she won't last long without the proper treatment. Sadly though… I didn't exactly have the medical skills to help her. But I do know one person who does…

Lorry Kent…

"This is bad…" I muttered, "We're going to need medicine to help her. Wallace, go downstairs and grab all the towels you can find. We need to keep her warm and keep her temperature down as much as we can!"

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna pay the doctor a visit" and with that I quickly put on my favorite brown jacket and left the house with a quick dash. The clinic wasn't far from my place…… in fact… it was just right between me and the Dead Garden.

As much as I expected, the whole district was still asleep. Beggars and homeless were lying on the side of the main road with nothing more but their clothes and a thin shred of trash. It doesn't matter where the warmth comes from… as long it could keep them warm, then they could care less about its source.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The sprint to the clinic wasn't long. It was probably just about a five minute dash for me. The building was as white as the White House in Washington D.C itself. Verdon's men surrounded the premises, keeping eye on everyone who entered and exit the building. They were all heavily armed with guns and weapons smuggled in by some truckers. Mostly those who want to be cured are permitted to come in without a hassle, but those who sought trouble would have a better chance fighting the police at the entrance of the Slums.

It was a square two floored building with six windows and two doors… one in the front and one at the back. Hopefully the good doctor opens up early to treat his patience.

As I approach the door, the guards immediately stood in front of me to bar my path. "Who are you… and what do you want?" the big guy with the crazy tattoo spoke to me. He was as fat as a sumo wrestler but he also had some muscles to back up his weight. A rough guess would say that this guy was the man in charge of security here.

"I'm Benjamin Tennyson and I need to see Lorry… now" I toned at him seriously trying to shake his fear up. But sadly… this guy had more guts than brain.

"Benjamin? Ben… ja… min?" he said stupidly, "Oh yeah… the guy on death row with the boss. You come for some sticks or powder?"

"Neither… now let me pass" I brushed through him but was quickly toppled down with a single push of his hand.

"The doctor… isn't seeing anyone… right now… ahehehehehe" the fat guy either wanting to get pummeled or was looking for the express way to hell. He pulled me off the ground and threw me towards the dumpster which was a little harder than I expected it to be. I groaned out loud and slowly stood back up as his gang members surrounded me. "So sorry… but it looks like Ms. V has a bounty on your head"

"Ms. V?" was Verdon referring to himself as a girl now?

"Yeah… Viper's paying a lot of dough for you" I should've known. Viper… or Vanessa still had a thing for me. I guess I could understand why since she already bedded all the higher ups in Verdon's gang. I was probably next on her bed list. Gosh… and to think that a hooker like her was looking for a man like me. Shouldn't I be happy about this?

"Sorry boys…" I replied as I finally got into a battle stance. "But please tell Vanessa that I'm not on her menu today" the gang immediately pulled out all their weapons which consisted of small firearms like AK-47s, Scorpions, Revolvers, baseball clubs, broken pipes, hammers, axes, shovels and a lot more. Ok… maybe fighting against them wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do, but hell… I an't going to that woman's bed without a fight.

Just when one of them was about to attack me, a sudden voice alarmed all of them, "What's with all the ruckus!?" the fat gang member jerked his head around and quickly noticed a man wearing a white doctor coat looking down at him from the second floor window.

To say the least… I was surprised to see the leader of the gang frightened by his presence. "Oh uh… sorry Mr. Kent… we were just dealing with a minor riff raft. We didn't mean to disturb you"

I knew right away that the man was none other than Lorry Kent, the Death Dealer himself. He may look like a doctor on the outside, but he's as sick as a butcher on the inside. When the doctor saw my face his mood quickly brightened up. "Benjamin? Ah! Benjamin my boy, I've been expecting you"

"You were?" both me and the gang leader said together.

"Yes yes yes. Don't touch him you idiots!" the good doctor yelled to his guards, "He's with me for this week. Come inside Benjamin, the door is unlock" the guards slowly lowered down their weapons in response to the man's orders and disburse. The fat guard had a darting look at me but I simply ignored it. As I walked into the clinic, I realized that the place smelled like a hospital.

I never liked hospitals nor do I like the white rooms either. It made me look like I was in some kind of asylum or something. Like a place for madmen………… hell……… maybe I was mad after all.

As I entered the lobby of the clinic, Lorry Kent was already there to greet me. "Ah welcome… please Benjamin, come in, come in. Would you like some tea? Coffee? I have some lovely toasts back in my kitchen"

But I simply waved it off, "Cut the good doctor act Lorry" I spoke out of line, "I know what you really are. You can fool Verdon and everybody else with that face mask, but you can't hide what you really are from me" the doctor slowly paused himself on the mirror and nodded to me. He may have fooled everyone else with his act, but when I found his true nature by accident, I realized that he was even more evil than Vilgax himself.

Oh… did I ever tell you guys about Vilgax? No? Well maybe next time…

Just when I was about to open my mouth again, the air around me suddenly got a lot colder than before like someone turned the air conditioner on to maximum level. The cheery smile that the doctor carried on his face soon vanished from his lips and was instantly replaced with a smile so sadistic that it would make Satan jump into a pool of holy water for ten days and ten nights. Trust me…… he was evil… no doubt about it.

"It seems like I still have ways to go to fool someone of your caliber Mr. Tennyson" the tone of the doctor changed almost instantly like a clown replaced by a Goth dude. "Seeing that you have been the only one to see my true self and live… I guess there's no used hiding it from you"

"Damn right you can't" I replied sternly, not taking my eyes off him.

"So what can this humble doctor do for you? I sell the finest powder this side of the state and produce natural remedies that can take you to heaven with a single drop"

"Sorry, but I an't here for your miracle potions doctor" I shifted my eyes back and forth from the wall and him, trying to get a feature of my surroundings. "I need medicine…… real… medicine. For fevers…"

"Ah… a simple task not even worthy of me" he chuckled softly as he turned to his medical cabinet. "Let me see… I should have something for a fever. I don't really have that many patients nowadays so there should… aha! Here we are" he took out a strange bottle from the backside of the cabinet and showed it to me. "Here… take three teaspoons of this after every meal and take a lot of rest. Once you start to feel better, call me in the morning"

"Thanks doc, but it an't for me" I replied honestly, "It's for a friend"

"Oh… is that so… well then. If your friend should not make it, please send his carcass to me. You know I pay a handsome fee for a fresh body" see what I mean about him being a sicko? Lorry Kent is a man who just doesn't sell weapons and drugs to the Verdon gang. During his free time, he likes to dissect stuff down in his basement. His favorite hobby was dissecting human bodies and taking out their organs so that he could put them on display in his trophy room. Trust me… it an't a place for the weak hearted. That's probably another reason why dead bodies kept disappearing on the streets too…

"Sorry doc, but I an't planning on letting anyone die just yet" just when I was about to reach for the bottle he suddenly shifted it away from me.

"Ah ah ahhh" he waved his finger in front of me, "How are you going to pay for it?"

I raised a brow of confusion, "Aren't you supposed to be doing this for charity or something?"

He laughed, "Oh please… that excuse is so old Tennyson. Can't you think of another reason? Unless you can pay… I can't give you this bottle. I have to eat too you know" I would've spit in front of his face right on the spot, but I kept my opinion to myself. I quickly reach for my wallet, but suddenly I realized it was no longer there. Dang it… I must've dropped it during that fight in the mall.

"Sorry, but I'm broke at the moment…"

The doctor thought for a moment and slowly analyzed my body. If I couldn't pay it with cold hard cash, he would think of letting me pay with one of my limbs. "Hmm… none of your body parts interest me Tennyson. But I would give you this for that watch" he gestured to my Omnitrix which I quickly hid right away.

"Sorry… it's a family heirloom"

"Then if you have nothing to offer in return than I cannot give you this for free" I really had to fight an urge to whack this guy silly and going Fourarms on the place, but if he teased me one more time I'm really gonna.

…

…

…

No…

Alex's life is on the line here. I can't afford to lose my temper right now. "Alright fine doc, you win" I submitted, "What do you want me to do?"

His grin grew wider by the second, "Ah… a favor for a favor eh?" he smirked, "Perhaps I might have a task for you Mr. Tennyson. I shall respect your offer. Here is the medicine bottle you require. Come back to me later this evening and we shall discuss our…… transaction hmhmmhmmhmmhm" the moment I had the bottle in my hand I quickly dashed away from the clinic and back right towards my house. I hope I wasn't too late…

**(Girl's dorm) (Bellwood Academy) (Gwen's POV)**

I woke up pretty early today back in my room at the girl's dormitory. Ever since yesterday's event, I've been a bit anxious about really starting my mission on finding Ben. After I changed into my favorite aquaberry coat, I quickly grab my breakfast from the cafeteria and lock myself in my room so that no one would disturb me from my 'work'.

I placed my breakfast meal next to my laptop and slowly called Cooper through it. Hopefully he would have some results about that DNA sample I got for him. I rang his laptop for awhile until he finally answered. When the screen showed the face of him, I noticed that he was just waking up from his sleep.

"Haa…" he yawned in front of my face with an innocent expression. "Yeah… this is Cooper, call me again in about ten minutes and I'll get back at ya…"

"Cooper, it's me!"

"Yeah yeah I know…" he groaned, "Do you know that seven o'clock is considered to be too early in Bellwood? Students in the academy aren't even up yet you know, especially on a weekend"

"So I've noticed" I replied a little annoyed. After Friday nights, students will probably be out partying with their pals drinking until the sun comes up. Their hang-overs will definitely take its toll on them and I doubt I'm gonna be seeing anyone until the noon. "Anyway, back to business. What do you have on the DNA samples I got for you yesterday?"

"Haa… give me a moment" he said through yawns. He ruffled through a bunch of papers for a minute and quickly pulled out one that came out of the printer. I kept a grin on my face knowing that my theory was right. "The DNA was bogus" my chin literally dropped on the table as he spoke those words at me.

"W… what?!" I raised my voice.

"I managed to find some DNA of Ben but it was mixed with a Petrosapien and a Kineceleran DNA as well. I don't think the commander will take this as a report"

"But can't we trace him using the Omnitrix energy?" I theorized to which he nodded back dumbly in reply.

"I already tried that" he spoke up as a map appeared on my laptop screen. It was a map of the city but there were some green paste on it like someone had barfed on the screen or something. "The green goo you see on the map are Omnitrix energy signature" there were so many of them. Some were lighter and some were darker in some corners. "Whenever Ben uses the Omnitrix or changes into one of his alien heroes, it creates an energy spike which contaminates everyone within a six mile radius"

"That's a pretty large ground to cover" I replied holding up to his words. "But does it effect any of us out there?"

"Luckily the Omnitrix energy is only temporary" he explained, "It won't effect anything but it will last for about six to seven hours after explosion"

"That would make it a perfect camouflage. Do you have anything else?"

"Not at the moment" he replied, "The other agents on the field haven't reported anything either. It looks like I'll have to count on you again. Check out some of the addresses I gave you yesterday. Just make sure to be incognito while you're at it"

"Actually I was planning to head off to Old Bellwood" I replied.

Just for a moment there I thought I saw Cooper's expression changed for a minute, "Th… the Old Bellwood? You mean the Slums?"

"The one and the same" I answered while taking a sip off my coffee, "I have a hunch that I fight a clue or a hint of him there. If he wants to hide from the world, then that would be the perfect place to be"

"I don't think that's a good idea" Cooper said suddenly, which made me confuse. He scrambled around his head as if he was trying to conjure an excuse or something. "The district requires a special pass to get in and only those with proper authorities can go in. And trust me… not even Ben would want to go there. He's just not the type to mess with that kind of crowd. The place is run by gangs and thugs. You'll be in grave danger before you even get ten steps out there"

But just when I was about to reply, I noticed that there was another call waiting for me on my screen. "Oh… hang on a moment. It looks like the Witch is calling me again"

"Witch? Oh you mean Paullina? Ouch…" his face was mixed with a pain and amusement. As a second screen popped into my screen I put up my professional face so that I can face her directly.

"Agent 501, report in" came the queen of prune's voice.

"This is agent 501, Gwendolyn Tennyson, reporting ma'am" I replied in the most professional tone I could find. "Is there something the matter?"

"I need a status report on your work Ms. Tennyson…… Now…"

"No offense ma'am, but it's only been a day since you last contacted me" I explained roughly, "I need more time to file in an adequate report"

"That is an adequate reason Ms. Tennyson" she replied holding her eyeglasses up, "But what I want from you is results. Have you located the Omnitrix and its holder?"

"No, but we have a picture of him" I briefed, "We managed to get a glimpse of him changing into XLR8. Cooper has the info" the old hag's face was slightly surprise when she didn't notice Cooper smiling at her from the sidelines with a goofy grin. "I'll have him send you all the info we've been able to get. I'll report again when I have more information about the target" for once in a very long time, Paullina's face suddenly crumbled under my words. Her expression was priceless. I guess she didn't expect this much in just one day from a girl like me. I guess she doesn't know what it means to be a Tennyson ahehehehe.

"Oh… I um… I see. This will suffice for now Ms. Tennyson" she replied a little shock, "I will deliver the information back to the commander. Your orders remains unchanged so keep us posted" and with that her face disappeared from my computer.

Cooper then appeared out of the screen with a grin, "Man! Did you see the expression on her face?! Oh man, the others will be thrilled to hear this. Gwendolyn, the one that subdued the witch! Hahahahahahaha it's priceless" I couldn't have agree more too. To see that old woman eat her words was probably once a year experience hehehehehehehe.

After our little laugh, I quickly returned back to my original position, "Ok, so what's our next move Cooper? Since you don't want me to go to the Slums, I'll have to look at the other areas you recommend"

"Great! I'll meet you at the restaurant behind the office. You know, that you ate last night? See you there in five minutes" and with that the screen turned off. But that last sentence made me wonder. How did he know where I ate last night? I was probably just being paranoid, but it still made me curious" So without waiting for another second, I quickly finished up my breakfast and teleported my way to the meeting ground. Hopefully we'll be able to get some more decent information to give Paullina when she contacts me again tomorrow.

**(Slums) (Ben's POV) (11:15 AM)**

I returned to my house about ten minutes after I got the bottle from the doctor. I was surprised that Wallace had not left his sister's side ever since I left. His dedication as a brother was something to be admired, but sadly I didn't have time for that. Once I got a clean spoon from my cabinet, I quickly rushed towards Alex's side so that I could give her, her medicine. "Ok Wallace" I called the boy who seemed like he was ready to do almost anything to save Alex. "Hold your sister up"

He did as I requested and gently raised the young girl's head to the spoon. "Alex…" he whispered to her, "Listen, uncle Ben here is giving you medicine that's gonna make you feel better ok. So hang on for a minute" uncle Ben huh… I guess that name works.

When Wallace was finally able to get a good angle, I slowly spoon fed Alex three table spoon of the bottle contents and quietly put her back to bed. I don't exactly know how long it would take for the effect of the medicine to kick in, but I hope it's soon. Alex won't be able to last against such fever forever.

The two of us waited in that place for about an hour or so and I kept feeling Alex's forehead to get her temperature. After awhile I noticed that her temperature had stopped rising. I did a little analysis on her for a moment and noted that she must've been sick for a long time now. No wonder she was feeling this terrible. "Well… looks like we stopped her fever" I could hear Wallace letting out a huge sigh of relief when he heard that. I smiled and quickly tucked Alex in for the day. "Alright Wallace, listen up" the boy stiffened up on me, putting all of his attention of my words. "There's some bread and jam in the granary. You two can share it. After that you give her three teaspoon of that medicine again alright?"

"Where are you going boss?" he asked.

"I'm going out for a little walk. I lost all my money and my wallet yesterday" when I meant walk, I meant 'look for a job so I can get some dough'. It was hard for me to get work, but hopefully there was somebody in the industrial district that needs a help of a hero. "You stay here and don't answer the door to anyone else but me ok?" his head automatically nodded back to me like a 'yes' boy in the top brass working district.

After I put my favorite coat back on, I quickly rushed out of the house and into the wild streets of the city. When I arrived at the gates connecting to the districts, I noticed that the guards had been doubled today for some reason. The SWAT teams stationed there were more heavily armed and they definitely had more personal than the last time I checked. But this only puzzled me even more. If the mayor of the city could support more security, why couldn't he support the slums? I was beginning to think something was crooked around here, but it didn't matter. It's not like it was effecting me personally anyway.

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But just when I was about to head off towards the gate, a hand suddenly appeared out of the dark and pulled me away like a crane or something. I huddled back and looked at my attacker but saw nothing but darkness. Whoever came for me had to be very good in being stealth.

"Gee Ben…… is that a way to treat your ex-lover?" came a female sadistic voice which I recognized very easily. I lowered down my fists and let out a soft sigh.

And then out of the shadow, wearing a black leather jacket with a snake symbol on her back and purple lipstick was none than…… Viper… or in another name… Vanessa… and of course my recently named Ms. V. How surprising…

"Vanessa…" I groaned, "What do you want now?"

She chuckled at me, "I'm glad you still remember me Bennie Bunny" I shivered at that nickname she made for me. "I've been so lonely without you"

"Then why don't you go and find another plaything?" I grunted, "You got plenty of them don't you?"

"Oh, but none of them are as interesting as you" she cooed as she cornered me to a wall. I could've easily just pushed her back, but as far as I know… she would not come alone. She would have three or four of her goons hiding somewhere in the dark just in case something goes terribly wrong. "You of all people should know that I care for you… just like a lover should"

"You were never my lover Vanessa" I replied sternly. "Now if you're done then let me pass. I have things to do"

"Oh… are you going to look for jobs again?" she giggled evilly like everything that I've been doing was a laughing matter, "Benny honey… if you want money, I can get you as much as you like. All you need to do is stay by my side for three hours… and I'll make your life such a place that heaven can't even begin to compare. She reached out for my legs as a gesture to her point. Her big soft chests were touching my back and her words felt like it could melt a guy in seconds. Any man who takes in her pheromone are completely hypnotized and would do anything that she commanded… but I persevere. "Come on now… what do you say?"

"I say you're whack" I quickly brushed myself to the side and avoid her soft gripping arms. "I told you before and I'll tell you again: I am not your plaything!" I raised my voice slightly trying to intimidate her. But my words simply added to her humor.

"Ooo… feisty one are you" the poison queen chuckled, "I like that in a man. Especially one with big rods to back it up. It only makes me want to have you more" she turned her back on me and slowly walked away with her guards. But before she left, she had one last comment for me. "Oh and Bennie…… if you're ever lonely, you know that my door is always open for you. Come by anytime and I'll even have all the girls come in your room with no charge at all" and with that she vanished from my sight.

She was probably referring to the brothel that she owned at the edge of the district. She converted a small elementary school ground into one of the worst places on earth. The place served more than a hundred men and or women a day and I tell ya…… it an't really that pretty as it sounds. I've been to that dirty places from time to time but I never really got inside the building myself. Verdon's men loved that place and hell they would go there every day if they were given the chance.

As I shifted my jacket off, I quickly headed back towards the district gate and made my way to the industrial area to get some hard earned money.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The industrial district was as busy as it'll ever be in the afternoon. Right before workers go out for their lunch breaks, this is the time when they will work the hardest. I looked around, trying to find someone who needs some help or something. It didn't matter what I had to do, as long as I get paid, that's fine with me.

But sadly… the world didn't have that many opportunities for me. I passed through some of my usual spots where jobs were aplenty before, but today didn't seem like my lucky day. Everyone was doing fine and no one around needed help at all. My stomach groaned out a little bit, reminding me that I didn't have any breakfast this morning either. I guess I should've accepted Lorry's breakfast offer after all.

Oh man… just remembering that guy's name reminded me that I still have to visit him later this afternoon to even up the deal. But I'll probably do that later. He didn't look like he was in a hurry so I can just take my time here and visit him tomorrow.

"Man… looks like jobs aren't coming easy nowadays" I said to myself as I entered my favorite bar. J's Bar is the name of the place. It wasn't the most popular hangout for the workers but I still find it very refreshing. The employees there were nice and the proprietor of the bar is a good friend of mine.

The big guy attending to the drinks and food wearing a bartender's tunic was named Chicolo Vicentes, but most people just called him Chico for short. He was widowed two years ago when his wife died of a heart attack. I saved his life once when a truck nearly smashed into him during his bar's grand opening. Right after that, he became my first of few friends in the entire city. He has a son named Alberto, who was also studying in high school and helping his papi out with work during his free time. The two of them were a

As I entered the bar I noticed that both Chico and Albert watching TV wrestling. "Hey Chico, uno café?" I called out to him which he smiled brightly in return.

"AHH!! My hero! Welcome, welcome! Please, have a seat" he offered, "How can I possibly help you at this dire time my friend? You always know that my door is open to you when you need it ahahahahaha! Can I offer you a drink? It's on me"

But I simply waved it off, "No thanks Chico. I couldn't possibly"

"Ah… you are the same as always Benjamin" he replied holding his smile, "Always the modest one. But if it not a drink you are after, than what is it?"

"Some work…" I confessed.

"Ah… I see. The working class as always" he replied, "Unfortunately, I do not have much to offer you today. As you can see, my bar is only active when the moon is bright and I cannot afford another waiter. I'm sorry"

"No need to apologize. I'm already used to job rejections"

"Then at least treat you to a glass of lemonade" he insisted, "It's the least I could do. Please" I couldn't refuse because he already poured me a glass of lemonade for me. I didn't have the rights to reject his offer so what the heck? I gladly took the glass and slowly sipped through its contents to quench my thirst. "There, you see? All better"

"Yeah… but it still won't fill my pockets any time soon" I sighed.

**(New Bellwood) (Gwen's POV) (01:20 PM)**

When I arrived at the main entrance of New Bellwood, my eyes couldn't even begin to believe what they were actually seeing. The entire district was nothing like the other areas of the city. The houses here were so clean that they made my school look like a beggars nest. The buildings and stores were lined up so well and neat that it felt like I wasn't on earth anymore. I felt like I just landed in the top side of Thagar IV, the planet of perfection.

The residents of that planet were very keen to everything being neatly aligned and nothing should be out of order even by a millimeter. If one thing should be caught out of place then its instant death. Man… talk about order.

"Well this is… clean" I muttered to myself as I walked through the street looking for the house that Cooper addressed to me. "I feel a little out of place" and with good reasons too. All the houses here looked like mansions and castles and dog houses looked like they were meant for people to live in. The people here must be so damn rich that they could even afford their own private jets. Hell, I even saw one of the dogs with a jeweled collar. The entire slums could eat for an entire month with that thing alone.

But just as I walked through the super cleaned sidewalks, I noticed a cool BMW car parked right in front of one of the houses. It was painted white and blue and it had such an appearance that it just made me want to get one. I had the money and with that unlimited cred that grandpa Max sent me, I could afford probably ten of them in one week. "Oh man… I have so got to get one of those" but then I quickly realized that I had already fallen off my mission track.

I scooped myself away from the house and proceeded to my destination. After awhile, I finally came to the right place. Address 443/12, yup, this was it. I just hoped that the people living here were not snobs like the ones I met in school. I placed my finger on the golden doorbell and rang it thrice to get the inhabitant's attention. But while I waited, I noticed the name of the tenants on the side door.

Robert, Damien?

Wait a second, Robert Damien? The same Damien that I'm working for back in the Damien newsletter! Whoa, talk about coincidence.

After a few minutes later, the butler of the household appeared and gestured to me, "Can I help you madam?"

"Yes, I'm working for the Damien corp. newsletter, and I'm working on publishing the story about the recent aliens that have been appearing the city. I heard that Mr. Robert Damien had a close encounter with one of them and I was wondering if I could ask a few questions, if that's alright" I quickly showed him my ID and smiled professionally.

"Ah, I see…" the butler nodded back at me, "I'm very sorry, but Mr. Damien had left for a fishing trip this morning with his lady and I don't think that they'll be back until the end of the week. However, I think I can support you on this topic" I raised a brow of curiosity at him, "Let me tell you one thing young lady. If you bring this word of alien to anyone in this district they will simply deny it. I myself have been saved by one of these aliens and I am quite intrigued by them as well. I have only seen an alien with crystal like figures but I have heard that there were many more"

"Yes there are, but is anything more you can tell me about them?"

"I'm afraid not, my good lady" the butler guy seemed polite enough to be speaking the truth so I didn't want to pressure him anymore than necessary. "But I do know where you can get more information about them" this of course intrigued my curiosity, "I have heard that several police officers in the downtown district had been hiring private detectives to find these creatures" private detectives? I guess this was too be expected seeing that Ben was a vigilante after all.

"Hmm… maybe I will, thanks for the heads up. I'll do that. Thank you for your time sir" I knew that this was just a quick ask and go operation, but I still wished I could've interviewed the guy a little bit more for some larger details.

"With pleasure young lady"

As I slowly got away from the large mansion, I took out my cell phone and dialed Cooper's number to give him a heads up of my report. He was still using the same ring tone since elementary school, the Sumo Slammer opening song. It was probably a prehistoric game right now for him, but I guess geeks like Cooper find it hard to take down a bad habit.

"Hey Gwen" he answered finally. "What's the ten four on the investigation?"

"Not so much" I replied flatly, "The owner wasn't home"

"Well we still got plenty of leads left. You could try the fire department near downtown" he said cheerfully.

"Actually…" I stated out, "I was planning to head off to the Old Bellwood district today. I got a good hunch that I'll be able to find more info th…" I suddenly heard a bunch of thumping sound coming from the phone before I could finish my sentence. "Cooper, what's wrong?"

"Oh uh… nothing!" he stammered, "I just fell off my stool that's all ahehehehe. Anyway, since you're so interested about the Slums, I'll send one of the agents over to check it out one more time. Why don't you head off to the farmlands outside the city? You're closer than some of the agents there anyway so you can finish off some loose ends. (beep beep) Oh, I got another call, later Gwen" and without even waiting for my reply, he hung up, leaving me hanging with a new and boring task. Does he even remember that I'm the one in charge of this mission? Man…

But it's strange though… this was the third time that he tasked me on a mission and the third time he threw me off my own course. It was like he didn't even want me anywhere near the slums. I know that he can be overprotective at times but come on… I faced off tougher bad guys before, so what can a bunch of armed thugs possibly do to me? But anyway, I'll just let the other agents handle that work line for me while I check the outlying farmlands for some clues on Ben's whereabouts. Who knows, I might get a jackpot hitting the unlucky slot machine.

**(Slums) (Ben's POV) (Lorry Kent's clinic) (03:00 PM)**

If words could kill a man right at this moment, the doctor right in front of me would be doing back flips for a life time while suffering at the bottomless pits of hell having thorns pierced into his throat and limbs for all eternity.

I was now standing in front of the gates of Lorry Kent's butcher shop which used to be the basement of this place with teeth gritting and clenched hands. I could hear sounds of chains rattling, knife slicing through plain meat and silent screams of pain coming from the other side. This was where Lorry does his little hobby. Other than selling powder and slimes to Verdon's men, he always makes time for his own personal pleasures. Usually when a guy in the slums is looking for pleasure, he'd usually go for the district brothel for the night and come back recharged.

If you really want to know what the man does inside there, trust me… you'll be having nightmares for weeks after you get a glimpse of it.

On the first impression you get when you see Dr. Kent, you'd say that he was nice guy who likes to help the poor. But after you get to know him better you'll see that he was nothing more but an old crook……… however…… once you get to know him personally… like me… you'd think that the asylum would look like the fun house already.

The guy was a psychopath, no other word can possibly describe him better other than that. He likes bodies… dead bodies to be exact. Once he gets a sample of a corpse, he just douses into the thing and begins treating it like a play thing. He didn't really care who or what the specimen was, as long as it used to be a living thing, he was plainly happy. First… he would like the skin of the subject, and after that he would kindly give the thing a name so that he could differentiate it from the rest.

After that he would begin cutting the body up letting the blood flow down into his bank of infinite blood. The basement he commandeered was turned into a medieval torture room more realistic than the ones in the haunted houses you'd see in the theme parks.

After he drains the blood from the body, he immediately begins cutting the major limbs of the body and sewing them together to create the 'perfect body' for his supreme collection. Heck, I don't know what his tastes are, but one thing for sure, the person he's gonna take to the bed would definitely be a freak. Heck, there was one time I even saw him putting a horse's head in a human's body with limbs from various other animals I couldn't even describe anymore. I don't know why people like him exist around here, but he had his uses at times. I had to admit that without him, I would still be having that stupid cold last month.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Mr. Tennyson" I was quickly snapped away from my thoughts as the good doctor came to me poking his head out the door to his butcher shop. "I hope you did not wait long, I was kind of into my… hobby. Would you like to come in?" he offered which I was glad that I refused. "No thanks" I answered back plainly, "Just what do you want me to do?"

"Oh I just want you to deliver this package for me" he held out a small box outside the door and gestured it to me. It wasn't big or anything, but I could tell from the weight that there was powder inside and probably a couple dozen sticks too. "I want you to deliver this to Ms. Vanessa. She'll be waiting for it at her office. But you probably know that place already" hell yeah I do… he's talking about the elementary school brothel in the Slums district, near Verdon's territory.

"Why don't you deliver it?"

"I would love to… but my 'work' seems to have taken my hands full at the moment" if there was a lie anymore unconvincing as that, I would really laugh my head off and roll it on the floor like a bowling ball. "Now off you go… chop chop" and without even waiting for my reply, he slammed the door right in front of me and with a defining click sound at the end.

Great…… just when I thought that this day couldn't get any worse, I had to be wrong. Visiting one bad place was one thing but visiting the two most unsightful sights in the entire district in one day was too much for me. But I made a promise. I had to do this favor… because my pride counted on it. Hell… it was probably the only thing left I own.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The trip to the brothel didn't really take that long. I just walked about four or five minutes through I shortcut I found about two months ago. One thing about the slums that I like, was because of the many alleyways that were hidden in the shadows. Wallace told me most of the hiding spots he found. Whenever he was chased by the Verdon gang, he would always go to one of these places to cool down his heat level. The boy was a true street kid. Thanks to his small size, he could practically fit through sewer pipes that were no longer in use.

When I finally set foot on the brothel elementary school, I suddenly got the feeling that the day had just gone darker for some reason. I could see shadows coming from windows, two or three people in one room doing nasty positions. Disgusting sounds emanated from the corridors and moans of pleasure could be heard in almost every corner. Yeah… this was heaven alright… a temporary heaven for those with money.

This was one of the least places other than Verdon's fortress that I would visit. The place was practically sin school as far as I can tell. The rooms that were meant for learning for kids were turned into make out rooms and fag outs. The teacher's lounge was reserved for the prettiest and sexiest 'menageries' the school had. Very few ever wanted to come out of that room ever again after they went in for the first hour.

As I walked through the corridors, none of the guards even noticed me passing by. They were just too busy admiring and flirting with their 'pets' as they would call them than to even look at me. Knowing that everyone here was a Verdon gang member, I quickly hid my Omnitrix and walked right through the guards like I own the place. But just when I thought that things couldn't get any worse, I was wrong again.

I suddenly felt a couple of hands tugging by my leg. I looked around and noticed several ladies in the mid twenties wearing nothing but bras and panties licking their lips, trying to get my attention. Usually, a normal man would've fallen under their spell and go at them like a wild animal. Heh… I could already imagine a guy getting turned on by these ladies and pounding them on the floor the next minute. Hell I could even imagine 'him' wearing a Viking hat and saying 'who's ya daddy!?' as he banged these girls.

But sadly… I wasn't exactly a normal man. I was Ben Tennyson and I had a purpose to live…

"Sorry ladies, maybe next time" I politely took my leave and head towards the principle's office which was turned into… the Viper's lair. I know already who was on the other side and I know that I wasn't gonna like it.

Vanessa… or Viper as her underlings called her. The mistress of prostitution, the queen of mankind's fertility, the creator of the greatest pleasures of life, the egg before the chicken! Well… you get the idea.

I slowly took a deep breath and exhaled gently. I knew this package was too good to be true. I knew the moment Kent gave me this tiny box. Vanessa must've somehow know about my deal with the doctor and asked him to find a way to bring me to her… personally. She must've bribed him with either bodies or green to make him agree to such a deal.

As I raise my hand to knock on the door, I suddenly began to hear strange moaning and whip cracks on the other side of the principal's office. Viper was probably torturing another poor victim into working into slavery. The useful ones only get one meal a day and I must say that it wasn't exactly a double cheese burger sandwich.

"Mistress…" came another voice in the room. It didn't sound like the guy Viper was torturing, "It appears you have a visitor"

"Who is it!?" she demanded to know, "I'm busy!"

"Uh… it's a Ben Ten delivery service" I joked half heartedly. Quickly I began to see the change in mood of the girl. She always was a strange one to me, even before the lockdown of the Old Bellwood. "Lorry Kent, sent me to deliver this package"

"Oh Bennie honey" she cooed before signaling her bodyguards to open the door. When I walked in, I noticed that there were several naked figures of both male and female lying on the floor. They were alive, but the white sticky stuff on their bodies gave me the impression that they were too exhausted to resist anymore. "Hi there Bennie sweetie" again, Vanessa cooed to me, putting her hands around my shoulder, trying to temp me into becoming hers. "Did you miss me already? I didn't even know that you wanted me so badly… hmmhmhmhmhmhm" she pressed her breast on my back and tried to temp me even more. I kinda felt like I was being teased by a succubus or something.

"I got a package here from Lorry, he said to give it to you personally" I stated by showing her the box I was carrying, but she simply pushed it away like it was nothing more but trash to her. "Now now… who cares about some silly old box? I'm more interested in the delivery boy that comes with the package" great, now I'm being added to the list of things you can buy off the internet. Crap…

"Sorry, but I got to go now" I replied hastily but Viper was just so darn persistent. She grabbed my arm forcefully with her claw like hands and pulled me closer to her body.

"Oh Ben, Ben Bennie bunny. I should've known" she hissed to me venomously, "You can't show your true self to all these people" she then snapped her fingers up and before I knew it, the two guards that were standing in front of the door nodded and began dragging the limping bodies out of the room. I guess this place has its own room service after all. After the last of them were gone, Vanessa turned her attention back to me. "Now come on Bennie, you can't possibly resist me forever. Out of all the people in this little hell hole, you're the only one who hasn't been on a bed with me"

"I think I'll keep that record, thanks" I forcefully pushed myself away from her slutty body. Just touching her skin made me feel like I need a whole month worth of path just to wash the stench off. "I told you once and I'll tell you again: I'm nobody's plaything. Now if we're done here, I'd like to go home now"

"Oh now you're just breaking my heart sweetie. Isn't there anything poor old Viper can do to heal that wounded soul of yours?" she then opened her leg wide open to me like she just saying 'do me' a thousand times. "Come on now. I can get you anything and anyone you like"

"Sorry, but I don't go out with older women. Especially one with one too many piercing" her sly snakelike face immediately soured into an old prune with wrinkles growing on the cheek bones. I knew that Viper wasn't one who would often get rejected at since she held all the power in the city slums other than Verdon of course. I could already tell that the whip she was holding back on me was getting really tempting and I wished she would take it already and hit me. Because if she does, the peace treaty between me and Verdon would come to a complete close and the slums will once again become a war zone between gangs.

Hell I didn't even need to worry about the police. Only a cop with a death wish would actually come here looking for someone to arrest.

But sadly, the girl stayed her hand and lowered her wrinkles as she smiled at me. "My my my Tennyson. I like it when you're feisty. It makes me want you even more now hmm hmm hmm…" her insatiable grin appeared to me again, as if trying to provoke me into slapping her silly. Come on Viper. Just hit me once… just once and I'll give you a night that you'll never forget. "I see you're not attracted to cups and smell. I see that you are certainly a unique customer. So tell me… what do you want in a girl? Hmm? Is it looks? Charms? Innocence? Brains or maybe you're looking for a certain type of girl?"

"Nothing that you can give" was my straight answer. I looked at her straight in the eye and smirked. I knew that hit the spot in her head. I was about to open my mouth again to say the punch line of my sentence but before I could even let a word out, my vision suddenly began to glow blurry. "Ughh…" I groaned slightly. I could see that Viper was also a little confused on what was happening so I have to say that she didn't poison me.

So if it wasn't her… than it could only be one thing.

The Omnitrix…

Oh shit…

"Bennie?" Viper cooed to me, "Is something the matter? You don't look very well" I don't feel well either. I tried to focus my eyes but as I gaze back at her she began to see about sixteen of Viper's face all across my eyes.

"I… I have to go" I abruptly left the room banging the door of the office. My mind went completely numb for a minute there and everything I saw was becoming twisted and out of shape. It almost felt like I was Alice in Strangeland or something. When I somehow managed to coop my body out of the gutter I felt like my body was about to explode. My blood rushed through my veins like they were on a traffic stop going to work. My head felt all sweaty but my mouth was breathing cold air. Call it strange but it was the truth. Something was wrong with me but I'll tell you about it some other time.

Right now… I had to get home…… fast…

**(Bellwood academy) (Gwen's POV) (08:00 PM)**

"Haaa…" if you're wondering why I'm sighing then you'd better pull up a chair and probably a hot cup of joe because this is going to be one long story I'm telling. After Cooper told me to head off towards the outlying farm, I was quickly dragged into a wild goose chase which was probably barely even worth my time. The clues the farmers gave out were useless to track Ben and as far as my scanners can confirm, there were barely even traces of Omnitrix energy littering the area.

I went on over and over through corn crops and cabbage field digging for clues that probably never even existed. Chased pigs with strange hair samples that were probably half contaminated and going through stables that smelled like my brother's room. To sum it all up, I had a bad day looking for Ben. I probably haven't even move since I found that wallet of his. Oh man… that reminds me… I also have to report back to Paullina about my day. If I don't file in a report for every weekend, she'll never let me hear the end of it. She'll probably go on yakking and yakking and before you even know it, she's probably talking about a totally different topic.

I really wanted to finish off my report but my hands were too numb from plowing the earth all day long. Man… whoever thought farming could take so much out of you? If that's how manual labor goes, then give me an alien invasion any day.

Once I managed to get my foot up from the bed, I noticed my phone began ringing. It was Grandpa Max calling me. "Hello? Gwen speaking" I answered in a very tired tone.

"Hey Gwen, how ya been?"

"In truth grandpa? Not so good" I answered, "I've been through and around the outskirts of the city looking for clues and nothing seems to come up. I'm pulling out all my leads but I can't seem to get a pin point on the Omnitrix. Ben hasn't gone hero for a whole day now and it doesn't sound like him"

"Don't worry sweetie" he cheered me up, "You said it yourself 'He's here… I know it' didn't you? I've set up blockades in and out of the city. The Washington National Guard had also issued a small state of security so it shouldn't cause any panic. How's Cooper by the way?"

"He's fine" I groaned, "Still being the lab boy that I remembered" I added chuckling, "He's been really helpful but I think he's kind of overprotective about me sometimes"

"He's only worried because you're probably the only friend he has left" I could tell that grandpa Max was smiling at me for this. "He…… he and Ben were really close… almost like brothers back in the days. So I don't think he could take losing you too. He may look older, but inside that kid is still the young boy that I knew seven years ago"

I smiled and knew right away that grandpa Max was right. He was usually right. Ben and Cooper were close and I was probably the only person other than Ben to hang around with him. It's not often that you would cross a person with super powers or a strange destiny in life.

"Yeah… you're probably right grandpa" I said finally. "I'll do better tomorrow. Hopefully by then I'll be able to get some decent results"

"I'm sure you'll make me proud honey. Oh but don't neglect your studies. Finding Ben is important, but keeping your appearance in school is also important. Understand?"

"Come on gramps. It's college. How hard can it be?" I gave out a smirk telling him that school wasn't anything hard. I probably know more than all of the teachers here combined.

"I'm just looking out for ya honey. Oh and don't worry about your report to Paullina, I've already dealt with that"

"Thanks grandpa… you're a life saver"

"I know Gwen. I'll call you again some other time. Bye…" and with that we both hung up at the same time. With no report to do and everything all well and done, I decided to retire early on my bed. I felt so tired that I couldn't even change into my PJs. Oh wait a second…

'Snap…'

With a press of a button on my new Exo-suit, my super body armor quickly morphed into my pajamas. I got to say that this was probably the best invention Cooper made in all his life. I bet in a few hundred years this thing will probably hit the market becoming the latest fashion trend the world would ever known. Heh… I can see it now. Cooper the seamstress.

I can…… see… it… now…

Zzzzzzzz…zzzzzzzzz

**(Slums) (Ben's house) (Ben's POV)**

I walked into my house looking like a drunken old man carrying a bottle of beer in his hands that night. I must've looked like a total fool after I came out from Vanessa's brothel. I tripped over a trashcan and right then… my ten minute walked had turned into a half an hour struggle to get back to my house. Every step I took came with a jolt of pain to my head and body. I vomited about three times on my way here and to make matters worse I even had to knock out two of Verdon's men who tried to ambush me on the way.

When I finally got back, Wallace was there to greet me, "Hey Ben, you ok?"

"Not now Wallace…" I groaned annoyingly as I scanned around the room. "I got… to go… use… the bathroom argghhh!!" again a jolt of pain stung my body. I felt like I was having acupuncturing therapy only except of using needles, he was using wax lit candles.

"Hey Ben, let me help you" the kid tried to help me back on my feet but his hands only added to the pain. I forcefully pushed him out of the way and got up on my own two feet. "Wah!?"

"Get out of my way!!" I yelled out angrily for the first time in months. "I don't have time for this!" when I finally got to my restroom I immediately slammed the door and barricade it with a chair. I ruffled up the room and accidentally tore the sink from the wall. My mind was going numb and my body felt like it was on fire.

This is probably the best time to tell you why I'm like this…

Why my body was becoming this way…

I…… I was changing…

Changing into… something… something I don't even know about.

When I finally managed to calm down I felt like my bones were turning to nothing but dust. The veins on my face were strangely apparent that it could be seen if you looked at me up close. If you think that this was caused by some food poisoning then don't be afraid because it's not. This was caused by something much more sophisticated and a lot more dangerous than one could imagine.

So to say… it was the device strapped onto my wrist.

The Omnitrix…

I guess the saying 'All Power Has Its Price' must be in work here. It is because of this cursed device that concocted me this decease. When I first wore the Omnitrix in my arm, it injected some kind of liquid fluid into my body, strapping me with its own DNA signatures. Every time I change into an alien hero, the effects become more painful and unbearable. I cannot tell when it will come or how long the effects will last, but I know when it is happening.

There are three signs that I should be wary to this decease…

I begin to feel pain coming through my head

Blood comes out from my mouth and nose

Signs of mutation to my limbs

The third one is probably the most painful one of all. Every time the Omnitrix activates, I would see my hand grow claws, my feet turn to dinosaur hind legs and my eyes go yellow like a cat. It takes a lot of my energy just to change back but it was well worth it. When this first happened to me, I panicked when I looked at myself in the mirror. I even thought that my old archenemy Kevin Eleven was back to get me.

Kevin…

There's a name I haven't thought in a while. I won't go much into details with that guy because I'm probably guessing you're bored to death huh.

If you're wondering how I got this decease in the first place, don't bother asking, because I probably don't have the answer for that either. It just kinda came to me one day or something.

"Hey Ben, are you alright in there?" I heard Wallace banging through the door of my restroom. Even after what I just did to him, the guy's still there for me. Sometimes I wonder if that was either unbelievable loyalty or just plain annoyance. Hell, even if I break his ribs to bits and he'd still probably be knocking on my door the next stay waiting for my next order. I don't know why, but he was that kind of guy. "Yo Ben, you still in there? Come on answer me"

"Yeah…" I answered coolly as the pain finally subsided from my stomach. "I'm still here…"

I'm still here……

But for how long?


	5. The Search

Chapter 5: The Search

**Chapter 5: The Search**

**(Girl's dorm cafeteria) (Tuesday) (11:45 AM) (Gwen's POV)**

I finished the last of my class early that day. Mr. Dulge, my algebra teacher gave us a small quiz on some formulas to work on and of course I managed to ace it without even taking a second look. I trained and studied back in Mt. Rushmore in the Plumber's top secret base buried beneath the neck of George Washington. In there I trained in martial arts, practice in shooting range and on my free time I like to spend my time in the library reading books. You wouldn't imagine how many books they had in that place. It made the international library of Bellwood look like a magazine store compared to its size.

I enjoyed plenty of my time there in the library, but only because I could actually spend some time with grandpa Max during his off shift. Being the head of a secret service police force can be really time consuming. But no matter what danger happens or how piled up his works were, he always had time for me and Cooper. But one of the greatest things that library had to offer was its magazines. Whenever Plumber agents are on an intergalactic mission, they'd always bring a piece of literature back home. I'm not talking like your standard monthly magazines. I was talking about alien magazines. Holographic books that you can read if you had the right tools.

But books and libraries aside, after I finished my test ahead of the others, my professor gladly allowed me to leave the class so that I can have an early lunch. When I got back to my dorm, I noticed Alfonse and Edger were not in their post today. Instead I saw a female guard watching the place eating a cup of instant noodles. She must be on her lunch break.

When I finally got to the cafeteria, I noticed that there were several students having their lunch as well. I know several faces from my classrooms but currently, 99.5 percent of the faces here in school are still unknown to me. As I got my meal from the cafeteria lady I suddenly noticed one hand waving at me. It was Daniel, the high school girl I met a couple of days ago.

"Gwen!" she called me with her hand still up, "Over here!" it really was an invitation I could not refuse. Since many of the students here have heard that I was now called 'alien girl' I have been practically labeled as an 'uncool' person.

"Hey Daniel, what are you doing here?"

"I'm on my lunch break right now" she answered, "That lady you spoke in the cafeteria is my mom. She works here every weekdays so I get my food for free"

"Is that a fact?" I tilted my brow in slight surprise as I smiled back at her. "I guess I can see the family resemblance. You do have her eyes"

"Yeah, people say that a lot" she replied while taking a bite off her sandwich, "Anyway, are you still researching on those aliens?"

"Unfortunately… yes"

"But why?" she gulped down before speaking, "Aren't you worried about what other people say about you? I mean, being called 'alien girl' isn't exactly a good thing in school"

"It's my job" I answered, "I'm working for the Damien newsletter in the downtown district and my boss wants me to get as much info as I can about them. So to sum it all up… I got to do it, or I don't get paid" well… I guess this really wasn't a lie. It was my job to find more info about Ben and his alien heroes, but money wasn't exactly the problem. I had so much money in my pockets right now that I could practically buy myself a mustang (car) and drive it around town without insurance.

"But I thought the Damien newsletter only goes for facts, not fiction"

"Actually it was my boss's idea to put in a special report. Besides, a lot of people saw them, I think it's safe to say that's it legit" if I had said that to Ben back in the Burger Palace in the mall, he would've been rolling his brain looking for a comeback. Man… just thinking about it now makes me feel a bit stupid.

"Man, talk about harsh" Daniel replied, "To research about something that'll make you look like an alien girl in front of other students (pause) Um… I meant that in a good way"

I chuckled at her, "Don't worry. I'm used to being called a loser back in high school. It's no big"

"But still…"

But before she could finish, I suddenly felt a strange vibration coming from my purse. I knew the sound well… it was my Plumber badge. It didn't give out any obvious noise but the vibration and the feint ringing it gave was very familiar to every agent out there in the organization. "Sorry Daniel, I need to use the rest room for a minute" I excused myself from the table and quietly made my way to the bathroom on the first floor. Luckily for me there was no one around.

After I entered one of the latrines I locked the entryway and opened up my Plumber badge to see who in the world was calling. "Hello?" came a person's voice as his face popped up on screen. "Is this agent 501 Gwendolyn Tennyson?" he was a black guy with fuzzy hair wearing a blue coat. He didn't look like any Plumber I met before during my missions but I guess beggars can't be choosers.

"Speaking…" I replied with my earphone on. "And you are?"

"Agent 2041 Almer Brown ma'am" he answered with a salute. "I was assigned to Old Bellwood a few days ago by agent Cooper. He told me to report to you as soon as possible" thank you Cooper, FINALLY, some real intel.

"What have you got Almer?"

"Well, unfortunately ma'am I don't really have much" he began. "The security at entrance to the district is tight and the whole place is considered a no man's land. All laws are considered to be null and void there and the place is being run by small gang factions and war-bosses. Curfew for that area is nine o'clock and ends at seven in the morning. Anyone caught before those times try to leave the district will be arrested and if necessary… shot on sight. Also… anyone who tries to swim out of the district will also be shot on sight"

"Ok… I think that qualifies for extremely weird and strange. Why would the mayor close off one of the oldest sights in the entire city?"

"From the official statement from the mayor, he said that the city's power supply was already pushing it to its limits" Almer explained, "It's a strange situation but thanks to his support from the high class citizens of Bellwood, the mayor continues to remain in power today"

"That figures" I sighed, "Anyway, can you give me a report on the Omnitrix? Is there any clues that might point that he's ever been there?"

"If you're talking about Ben ma'am, I'm afraid to say I don't have much info on that topic. The Slums is a very big district and also extremely dangerous. I barely made it pass the gate myself. The moment you step in there, you'll know that you're a target. I even got attacked myself"

"That bad huh?"

"Not really. Just a couple of thugs but nothing I can't handle. I doubt the Omnitrix is anywhere near here ma'am. But if you want, I can go and check the place again and report back to you tomorrow"

"That's a plan" I smirked, "But take someone with you this time. I'll have Cooper send you a partner so you can search the district faster"

"Understood. I'll call the chief right away. Almer out" and with that the screen turned black. After I closed my badge I immediately let out a small sigh of relief. I was really sure that Ben was in the Slums since it was the only place that the law was lightest. Even before the lockdown it was still a peaceful district. Mostly elders and veterans would retire there and live out the rest of their days. I researched on the World Wide Web a couple of days ago and found many pictures of views and attraction that place had to offer. But now, I guess it was just a place for crooks to hang out.

With nothing left to do I quickly cleaned myself up and walk out of the restroom. Daniel was still there on the table waiting for me, but he had already finished up her meal. I joined her again and smiled. "So… who called? Was it your boyfriend?" she teased me, as if I was like a high school girl.

"No" I replied plainly. "It was my friend from work. He had some info that I needed for work. Nothing big"

"But you do have a boyfriend, right?"

"Honestly? Nope… and before you ask… no not even in high school"

"That's impossible!" Daniel said in disbelief, "You've got to be kidding, right? I mean you're pretty and tall and smart… I bet you had tons of admirers back in your high school" now that she mentioned it, I did get a lot of votes of becoming class president every year in school. I also received tons of flowers and love letters in my locker as well. "You must've had at least one boyfriend"

Well… in truth… I did have one…

"Well… there was this… one guy…" I muttered blushing slightly. "Back at my first job who… umm…"

"Aha! So you did have a boyfriend!" she cheered up in victory like a Christmas tree. "So tell me about him. Spill! I've got to know! Tell me all about him!"

"Whoa… easy nosy girl" I chuckled at her child like expression. She seemed too small and too innocent to be a high schooler. "Well back in high school, I had a semi-crush on this guy"

"What was his name?"

I paused for a moment before replying, "His name… was Kevin Levin"

"What was he like?"

"Well… he was strong, charming… in his own way and great in sports. He was more of a muscle man than brains but he was polite. And he had this amazing secret ability that only he had. He was probably the perfect guy for me"

"So how far did you go in your relationship?" she grinned from ear to ear like she was trying to pry some information out of my brain with her twisted words of destruction, "Did you get your first kiss?"

"No" I answered, "But we did go on a date a couple of times. He was really sweet during one of the dates we had in the carnival. You should've seen him try to smash one hit pin that time. He got me a stuffed teddy bear the size of table after that"

"He must've been a great guy"

"Yeah… he was…" I sipped my coffee in return.

"So if he was such a great guy, why did you break up with him?" that question hit me right on top of my head like a hammer on a nail. It was true that I did have a relationship with Kevin, and everything seemed like it was going in the right direction… until… he betrayed me…

Back about seven or six years ago, Kevin was actually just a kid living on the streets fending on his own. He had an ability that allowed him absorb energy through his hand and made him near superhuman. When he and Ben met, he tried to steal power from the Omnitrix, thus turning him into a mutated monster that had the strength of almost two hundred soldiers. He and I clashed a couple of times back in those days and I had to admit that he was indeed an opponent you wouldn't want to mess with.

After the Plumbers managed to capture him, grandpa Max reverse engineered his DNA and turned him back to his human form, but he still retained his energy absorbing abilities. After a couple of months in rehab, he was finally allowed to go wherever he pleases. But surprisingly, he seemed to have taken an interest in the Plumber organization.

I felt a little unsure at first whether to trust him or not but Grandpa Max decided to give him a second chance to try it out. I was of course in charge of keeping an eye on him. He went through basic training without much of a hitch but when it came to written exams he could barely even think of the right answers.

Eventually… he managed to pass the trials and became a Plumber agent. I really had to call that plain irony because he was now working with the organization that captured him.

After awhile, Kevin soon earned my trust and the trust of many other agents out there on the field. When he and I were in the Plumber business together, we were always paired in groups on special missions. Kevin was as tough as a rock and almost immovable like a mountain. We became something like the dynamic duo or something. He was the muscle and I was the brain behind his strength. We fought hundreds and probably even thousands of opponents at once and never before did he fail me or the Plumbers… until one fateful day… when everything turned upside down.

A couple of months after Kevin was instated as a full fledge Plumber agent, he soured through the rookie ranks faster than most agents. He taught a lot of students how to be stubborn and persistent, but he always kept them in line no matter what. He was even offered to be come one of the disciplinary officers in the organization but he declined it.

And at the same time that he began teaching new recruits, there had been several high tech equipments missing from several Plumber basses. It was usually just small electronic tools that could be replaced from the storehouse but after a couple of weeks, bigger things began disappearing from high security vaults. Heavy assault vehicles, weapons and even R&D blue print projects.

I suspected it to be him at first but I could push myself to admit it. I knew there was some good in Kevin, but after finally catching him red handed… everything seemed to make sense.

"He…… he took advantage of me…" I answered back lowering my cup back on the tray.

Daniel's face soured as if she was trying to apologize for that question, "Oh… sorry……… so uh… what happened after that?"

Kevin was stealing weapons and tools from the Plumber base and selling it off to customers that paid for the device. It didn't matter if they were aliens or humans, as long as he gets the green he was happy.

"Well… we had an argument" I answered back. But I wasn't really talking about a small time argument like yelling or something like that. I was referring to a real brutal fight. When the Plumbers finally caught up to him, he destroyed the entire supply yard and severely injured many Plumber agents in the process. I was also incapacitated by his attacks so I couldn't tell who managed to take him down. The next thing I know, I was waking up in the infirmary with a bandage on my head. From the reports and the videos recorded by several other Plumbers who were part of the operation, Kevin seemed to have found a way to revert himself back and forth from his mutated Omnitrix form and his human form. It took an entire assault force to take him down and by then he was probably disintegrated into atoms.

"I see… sorry I guess I shouldn't have asked"

But I simply waved it off Daniel, "Oh don't be. It's not often I get to talk about my own personal life with another person. How about you? Do you have a boyfriend Daniel?"

She blushed slightly as she replied, "Well… not really… I guess you could… call it… that ahehehe"

"Ohh…" I grinned nosily at her. It was time to dig for her for some dirt. "And may I ask who the lucky one is?"

"Oh would you look at the time. Sorry but I have to go back to school now. Later Gwen, nice talking to you bye!" and right before I could even say another word, she grabbed her bag and dashed so fast that my eyes couldn't even catch up. She must be in the track and field team to run that fast. I should know… I participated in it back during my high school years.

"Hehe… silly girl" I chuckled as I got back to my meal.

**(Ben's house) (03:00 PM) (Ben's POV)**

I came out of my house pretty late that afternoon. My head was spinning around and around like I had some kind of a hangover in Chicolo's bar place. In truth I never once touched a glass of alcohol in my hand nor smoke a tube of cigarette before. I know that a lot of people take them to relieve stress but I simply see them as a waste of my time and money. I had better use of what dough I had in my pocket rather than to waste it all on beers and death sticks.

When I finally got out of my bathroom, I noticed Wallace sleeping on the couch in the living room. There was a half eaten loaf of bread on the table and some bottles of fresh water that I've been saving for a rainy day. Alex was probably still upstairs sleeping away the fever that she got. Well… without breakfast and nothing to eat for another week or so, I decided to hightail it to the industrial district to find myself a small job. I know it wasn't going to get me much but it'll help me get through the day.

But before I left, I quickly tore a piece of paper from my notepad and wrote a little message to the little guy. He would probably be out looking for me the moment he noticed I'm gone.

'Went out to get money and food. You can have the rest… of the bread…

Ben…'

After I placed it on the table near the loaf of bread, I quickly put on my favorite brown coat and head off to the industrial district. Hopefully I'll be able to get at least ten bucks to get myself a sandwich.

The trip to the entrance gate wasn't really long, but what I hated the most was probably the entryway of the district. Its metal formed walls, barred gates and cemented grounds almost made it look like a prison camp. Back when the lockdown was first in affect, the inhabitants of Old Bellwood rose up to take it down to set an example for the mayor of the city. But of course, all resistance were soon silenced with guns and other firearms.

I witnessed a true massacre there on that wall. The local authorities shooting at the very same people they were supposed to protect. Blood splattering on the ground, children crying, screaming, and many more horrifying acts were done there on that wall.

Those who still held a grudge against the guards there vandalized the wall in any way they possibly can. Spray paint, rock throws, insults, threats, taunting, you name it, they probably done it plenty of times.

Once I was finally through that horrible place I decided to make my way towards the warehouse. They always needed an extra hand there and hopefully I would be one of the lucky ones.

**(Bellwood Academy Library) (Gwen's POV)**

After I finished off my early lunch I decided to catch up on my reading. The school library was a quiet place for me to study and the building was surprisingly quiet that a single scream could just as well be turned into a small crime. I read a lot of books back in my time as a Plumber rookie, since it was the only thing I could do during my free time. Half of the books in this library I've probably seen or read a long time ago, but there were some foreign books that I have yet to open.

Just as I was reading one of Shaun Pierre's brilliant novel Death by Love, my cell phone suddenly began ringing. I put it on silent mode so no one could hear. Even I should know that any disturbance in the library is forbidden.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey Gwen, how are ya" it was Cooper, my so called 'boss' of the Damien newsletter. "Where've ya been, I've been trying to contact you through your laptop for hours"

"Oh hey Cooper" I replied with a small sigh, "I'm in the school library right now catching up on some reading. What do you have for me?"

"Nothing much. I cross reference some areas in the city with some of the agents. As far as I can tell from my Omnitrix scanner, Ben hasn't gone alien for a couple of days now"

"Do you think he may have jumped ship and move to another city by now?" I asked hoping that I was wrong.

"I don't think so. Commander Maxwell had every access route monitored with agents and satellite cameras. If Ben's gonna take a pee in the woods, there's gonna be someone out there watching"

"How about naval exits?"

"That might be a possibility" Cooper answered back holding his hand on his chin. I couldn't see him do it, but I get a feeling that he was doing that action. "But from what I can tell, Paullina seems to have that area under her control. The NAVY battleship class the S.S Mississippi is under her direct command and is patrolling that area day and night with sonar waves. Not a single fish will be passing through that area without them knowing"

"Geeze… talk about tough" I groaned. Paullina can really take things over the edge sometimes with her actions. She doesn't even bother to know the consequences of the plans she puts into place. Having a battleship patrol the sea was almost like the country was preparing for war. It could cause a lot of civil unrest and uncertainty about land security. "How about train tracks and air transport? There's an airport just outside the city and beyond that is a train station that connects to other cities"

"Max thought about those too and had an agent placed in all stations" Cooper explained as he shifted his hand on some papers. I could hear the sound of papers flapping up and down making a soothing rhythm. "The whole city is practically surrounded by agents. I know it's not my place to say but is it really necessary to bring all of us on this? I mean… it almost looks like we're trying to hunt a lion or something"

I had to agree with Cooper on that one. With all the resources that we've been putting on this operation, I had to say that this was getting a little out of hand. Paullina and grandpa Max were involving themselves in this mission but as long as they don't overstep their boundaries of my mission then I guess I can still move around the city without being suspicious.

"Yeah… I think so too" I agreed. "Anyway Cooper, I got a call from the agent you sent to the Slums. Thanks for the info"

"Huh? What? OH! I mean yeah, I did" that's strange. Cooper stuttering? This was indeed something that could never happen in a single lifetime.

"Is something the matter?"

"No I'ts nothing"

"Are you sure? You sound pretty scared a minute ago…"

"No no no not at all. I just uh… dropped my coffee mug that's all. Oh jeeze now I got it all over my lab coat" I couldn't really tell if he was telling the truth or not but I guess he must have his reasons. "Anyway, I got some work to get back too. If you're not busy for the day, why don't you head to the fire station near the carnival pier? The chief there might have some info on Ben's whereabouts. Report back to me after you're done. Later……" and with that he hung up.

I let out a long sigh after I was done talking to that boy. Even though he was a smart one he really had a way to bore me to death. His conversation topics were interesting, but his speech was just hard to comprehend in my head. "Well… I guess it's another day off to work" I said to myself before heading off towards the school entrance.

I never saw the fire station myself so I couldn't teleport there instantaneously like I did back in the office. So instead I called for a taxi to take me there.

**(Pier)**

The trip to the pier wasn't as long as I expected it. The carnival was still there setting up their attractions and from the looks of those freaky signs and flyers floating around the air, the place must've been here for at least a couple of weeks. The side road leading to this particular land of fun was a bit small so the taxi had to drop me off the corner. The fire station was conveniently placed at the sides thank so I didn't have to run that far to get there.

I've seen a lot of fire stations in all my life and I have to say that this one was no different. The fire fighters there had just finished their routine drill and were now lounging around playing cards and soccer passes. I approach the one who looked the most promising so that I wouldn't attract too much attention. He was chewing on a toothpick and constantly keeping a keen eye on his other companions so that they wouldn't act out of line. "Excuse me" the guy in his early thirties turned and looked at me. "I'm looking for the fire chief, is he in?"

He spat out his tooth pick and shook his head, "Sorry, the boss just left a minute ago. You just missed him"

"Oh… where did he go?"

"He probably went to the carnival back at the pier" said one of the men playing poker with his pals. "I overheard him talking with his sweetheart on the phone. He's probably meeting her at the love tunnel"

"Again?!" said another of the fire fighters, "Man, that guy is so old school man. He should take that girl out on a dinner rather than going through the same routine twice in a row"

"Well that's the chief for ya" the others quickly joined the laugh altogether.

"So you think I can find him there?" I asked.

"I bet my week worth of salary you'll find both of them there" again they all laughed. But I didn't mind. As long as I got a lead, I'll follow it to the very end. After I said my goodbyes to them I quickly made haste to the pier.

I walked the rest of the way and noticed that the Ferris wheel was poking on top of the entire ground. If you were at the top of the wheel you might actually be able to see the whole city at night. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of couples make out in that place. Who knows, maybe during passionate times some of them might even go into a deeper relationship and go over the edge.

"One ticket please" I said to the clerk behind the ticket booth. It was a semi chubby old lady, probably about my mom's age. She was filing her nails looking at me oddly with those big eyes of hers.

She looked on both of my sides before asking. "Are you alone here sweetheart?"

"Uh… yeah" I answered confused, "Is there something wrong?"

"Well of all my life, I have never seen such a beautiful girl such as yourself walk into a carnival without a partner" she grinned at me slyly just like Daniel did back at the dormitory. "Are you here for some other reason perhaps?"

"Actually I'm just here to meet with the fire chief. The guys at the station said that I might find him here"

"You mean that old Samuel?" she laughed, "Ha! You just missed him honey. He went pass through this door about three minutes ago. He's probably at the love tunnel by now with his no good wence of his. I tell ya… what does he ever see in that girl? Is he looking for body? I got twice as much as hers! Is he looking for breast?! Well check it out honey, I got plenty of it right here! Hahahahahahah!"

"Uh… ok…" I answered back not really sure on how to react to that reaction. After a long while of disturbing movements and laughs, the clerk lady finally quieted down and gave me my ticket in.

I really need to erase those images from my mind later on or else I'll be having nightmares about her wiggling her body in front of me. Brrrr…… just thinking about it gave me the willies.

The carnival itself was big…

So big that it actually took over half of the pier. There were plenty of booths that were not open until sundown. The janitors there were cleaning up some of the mess that the previous customers left on their way. The large tent at the center of the pier was probably where the main attractions were held. From what I can tell from the posters on the wall, they had lions, acrobats, pyrotechnics and even magic shows included. Ha… sure… pull a rabbit out of a hat why don't ya… I can discharge lightning from a single point of my finger. Let's see those magicians beat that!

Another part of the carnival that caught my eye was the haunted house. The entrance of that attraction was shaped from long paper cloth and cardboard boxes to make it look like a skull. Whoever made it must've had some real talent because I could just stand there admiring it all day if I was given the choice. The details were very accurate and I'd really like to see what was inside that would someone scream. But right now, I had a target to acquire.

There were plenty of other places that caught my attention too but I guess my job has to come first. But I must say…… if I do have a boyfriend, this might not actually be a bad place to take me on a date.

After a couple of minutes strolling around the wooden planks, the love tunnel was just in my sight, but strangely there was no one there. An out of order sign was posted on the entryway of the ride so I'm guessing the chief must've gone somewhere else. The water was still running and the goose boats were kept at their places for the love couples to go on through. The tunnel entrance was in the shape of a giant heart and around it were a bunch of cupid angels pointing their bow and arrows at the couple going in. There were also a lot of heart shaped objects there which was really quite disturbing for some reason. It was like that place could become a madhouse or something.

"Hey you there!" came a voice that startled me. "What are you doing here? This ride is currently out of order" from the looks of the guy's face and the uniform he was wearing he must've been the one in charge of this ride.

"Sorry" I apologized, "I was just looking for Mr. Samuel Halton"

"You mean the fire chief? (nod) Well that'll be a darn luck, you just missed him a few minutes ago. He took off when he saw the ride closed for the day. I'm guessing he's probably taking that girl of his downtown on some fancy restaurant or something. Heh… I wonder how long their game will go on"

"Dagnammit" I cursed silently to myself. "I guess it's probably just another dead end anyway. Thanks for your time"

"No problem lady. Just try not to go into this ride until we're done with it" and with that he left.

I really had to push an urge of pulling my hair out because right now I was just bursting with anger. I've been on this mission for a week and a half now and still the biggest clue we could find was Ben's wallet. Ahhhhh! Ben, where the hell are you!! I really wanted to shout out and scream that last sentence but my mouth kept my lips in check. Seeing that I couldn't take my frustration out on the world, I quickly pulled out my cell phone and called the only person who I know that can understand me at a time like this.

"Hello, this is Cooper"

"Cooper, listen, I need a…" but before I could continue, the voice on the other line continued.

"I can't answer my cell right now because I'm too busy. So leave a message after the beep" it was his cell phone message box that he developed for innovative fun. I tell ya, that kid can make even the craziest of his creation work even though it had no use whatsoever.

After the beep went up I let out a sigh, "Cooper, it's me, Gwen. I couldn't find the fire chief anywhere in the city so I'm stopping the search for today. I'll look into your other leads later. Tell me if you have anything new on your side of the post. Later, bye…" and after one long depressing sigh I hung up and put my cell phone back in my purse.

The walk to the entrance was probably one of the saddest I've ever done up to date. Each step I took weigh heavily upon me like a girl who just got dumped by her boyfriend for the most pathetic reason. I wanted to take my anger out on something like a punching bag or something like that, and thank god it looks like I was in luck.

When I finally got to the entrance, I noticed a group of jocks (sport students) bullying a kid just about my age. I was able to recognize the face since that kid was in my chemistry class as well. Romero Vicentes, a college student who moved from Mexico with his parent a couple of years back. I don't really know much about him but he was a good kid with good intentions of getting through college. I wonder what he was doing here with all these jocks. The jocks I could probably understand. They were probably playing hookie on school since it was only starting and go out early to have some fun.

"Hey look guys, it's a notebook" said one of the jocks as he dangled a notebook atop Romero's head. There were a total of three of them and from what I could tell, Romero didn't stand a chance against them.

"Hey, give it back amigo" the boy pleaded as he tried to take it back from the bully, "All my works are inside there. You'll ruin the whole project!"

"Oh look, now the little guy's getting angry" another of the bully taunted laughing along the way.

Seeing this, I quickly approach the group and gladly made my cool entry, "Hey tough guys…" I called to them to which they turned their attention to me. "Why don't you go on bully someone your own size? Or better yet, why don't you go on bullying someone bigger than you?"

They turned their heads to me before turning on each other. "Who the heck is that?"

"It's that alien girl they've been talking about. Why is she here?"

"Hey you stay out of this lady"

"Yeah, you stay out of it if you know what's good for ya!" again they laughed at me like I was some kind of joke. Man if I could I would've vaporized these guys with my blaster gun already. As they went back bullying Romero, I decided to make the first move on the guys. While the one holding the notebook was busy picking on the boy, I slowly walk up behind him and kick right in between his legs making him toss the notebook to me. The guy groaned and held his croach in pain for a few seconds before turning towards me. Their hateful and deadly eyes meant very little for someone with the ability to defeat six Transylians in hand to hand combat.

Once I finally got their attention, I grabbed the notebook in my hand and smirked, "You want it? Come and get it" I knew how jocks were in these times. They were easy to taunt and very easy to trick if you know the right words of course. Negotiations were pretty much zero chance with these guys since I doubt they'll be able to tell between lies and truth, and logic and illogic. The only thing these guys are ever going to respect, is strength. So here I am about to earn some points from these clowns.

"Get her!" said the leader of the group. When the first guy on my left came in with a punch, I simply moved out of the way and tripped him using only my foot. He didn't have a stance to go on with so the guy was pretty much useless in a real battle. A few seconds after I trip his leg, he soon lost balance and fell right onto a trash bin which suited for trash like him.

"Next…" I said confidently still holding that notebook in my hand.

When the second guy on my right charged at me, I jumped over him like a true acrobat and avoided his plowing maneuver just by a few seconds. And seeing that he couldn't see where he was going, he soon crashed onto one of the light poles and fell stunned onto the ground.

"Is that all you guys got?" I taunted out with a chuckle knowing full well that the leader of the group was going to take it the bite and not surprising… I was right. The leader of the group soon began throwing a flurry of punches at me, but I simply dodged it all with my lightning fast reflexes. "Come on, you call yourself an athlete? I've seen video games walk faster than you" and right when he threw his strongest punch, grab his arm and take his balance off by using one of the moves I learned from Tekwando. By the time he was on the ground, I release his arm and allowed him to flee along with the others.

"I'll remember this! Don't think we'll forget this alien girl! We'll be back!" he shouted while running with a bad leg. He won't be running tracks for a few days but it'll heal if given time.

After I finally finished the fight, I let out a small gasp of air through my nose and breathed in the oxygen around me. After awhile, I suddenly felt a lot better than I was before. Fighting those creeps really took a lot of anger off my back and whacking baddies was just the best way to do it.

Once the jocks were gone from my sight I turned my attention back to Romero who was looking rather stunned by my action. "Oh…" I muttered before returning his notebook. "Here… you can have it back now"

"Gracias senorita" he replied in a very Mexican like accent, "I am most grateful for your aid, but I'm afraid you have left me with the shame of being protected by a girl"

"Hey, I could've just left them to bully you, you know" I said back a little annoyed.

"Yeah, I guess you could've. So with that I am forever grateful. Ahehehe… by the way, I am Romero Vicentes" he extended his hand in shake which I gladly returned the gesture.

"I'm Gwen, Gwendolyn Tennyson"

"Oh, you must be the alien girl they've been talking about in school" he motioned with a chuckle. "Sorry, I meant no insult"

"None taken" I shrugged, "So what do you have in there?" I gestured to his notebook. "From what I heard, it must be something important"

"Yes it is. These are my notes for the haunted house attraction. I'm part of the External Activity School Team or EAST for short. We're currently working on that big haunted house you see over there" he pointed to the building that I noticed earlier. "I was the one who designed the entrance"

"Is this a club activity?"

"Yes it is. Since we are focused on external activities, we attract a lot of customers from both inside and outside of our school with our many attractions. We currently have many booths here that are part of EAST but sadly we are only open during Fridays and weekends included"

"That's pretty neat for a club" I praised.

"Yes it is… if you are interested, perhaps you would like to join? The club recruitment program is about to start next week. I can recommend you to my chief if you wish"

I quickly wave my hand in decline, "Sorry but I'm not really into club activities. I just want to get in school and graduate as fast as I can"

"I see… then at least allow me to treat you for some ice cream in return. It's the least I can do after you saved me from those bullies" well I couldn't possibly decline such an offer so instead of letting a free treat pass up I agreed.

"Ok, I think I can go for one scoop" I replied with a smile.

After we both got a scoop of our own favorite flavors from the ice cream man in the stands we quickly made our way towards a small park bench to finish off our treats. I guess today really wasn't a bad day after all. I actually got to beat up three college kids without getting into trouble, save a kid from the bullies and free ice cream.

As we continued to lick our ice creams in silence, Romero quickly got the urge to start a conversation, "May I ask you a question?"

"You just did" I replied smirking at him.

"Aha… I guess I did…" he chuckled back, "May I ask why you are here?"

"Research…" I answered, "I'm doing an article about those alien heroes that have been appearing around the city lately. I'm writing a small article about them for the Damien newsletter"

"Ahh… so that's why you were asking so much about those aliens" the boy replied slightly intrigued, "I have never seen these aliens myself, but I hear that they perform good deeds all around the city to whoever needed help"

"Yeah… that's as much as I got as well. That's what everybody say"

"So that means the rumors of you being an alien girl is all a little misunderstanding huh?"

"Pretty much…" and just when we were about to continue our conversation, my cell phone message tone began to ring in my purse. "Oh, hold on a moment (pause) Oh… it's only my mom. She's always worrying about me" I quickly texted her back in my usual phrase of not to worry about me since I'm all grownup now. But just when I finished, I noticed that my old photo of Ben had just slipped down right onto Romero's lap.

Having curiosity take over he picked it up looked at it closely. "Who's this? Your boyfriend?"

I snatch the picture from his hand with a smile, "Ha, as if………………… he's my cousin" I answered with a heavy heart.

"Well I guess I can see the family resemblance. May I see the picture?" I slowly handed it back to him again. As he looked closer at the picture his face suddenly tuned to that like of a detective or something. "Heh… that's odd. Just how many green eyes are there in this world?"

"I beg your pardon?" I turned my attention to him puzzled by his last question.

"Oh it's nothing. It's just that his eyes are similar to a friend of mine. His name was Benjamin I believe…" my eyes widened in horror as he spoke that name so lightly. Was it true? Was he talking about my Ben or another person unrelated to this topic? "I must say that their resemblance is quite extraordinary"

"Wait a minute!" I dropped my ice cream cone down and turned my whole attention back to him, "Ben? As in… Benjamin Tennyson?"

"Huh? I'm not sure. He never told me his last name before"

"Does he have green eyes, fuzzy hair, and wears a brown jacket!!" I barraged him with a volley of questions like I was an interrogator or something. He nodded back slowly and a little frightened by my outburst. "Where is he?! Does he study in the academy!?"

"No… from what I can tell he doesn't go to school I'm afraid. He's been working around the industrial district for some time"

"Do you know where he lives?! Tell me!" and before I even knew it, I was already demanding answers from the boy, frightening him just like those bullies.

"I don't know! He comes by my papi's café once in awhile. If you want, I can take you there" immediately the sadness inside my heart began to lift away like an angel taking all my sorrows and turning it into happiness. Right at that very moment, I couldn't care less about what Cooper had to say. I'm going to the industrial district and nothing was going to stop me.

**(Industrial district) (Ben's POV) (05:00 PM)**

Work work work work…

That was the only word running through my head at the time. But today it looks like I was in luck. When I got out of the slums I was quickly offered two jobs at once which doubled the efficiency of my pay. I was tasked to deliver a small parcel to a small refinery manager's office. When I finally got there, the manager said that he needed some extra hands to help load up the new shipment of POP, a breakfast cereal that was popular with the kids nowadays. There was a special surprise inside every box which attracted a lot of buyers to buy them for their children. It seemed like there were some kind of small alien like toys inside and somehow they looked sort of similar to the alien heroes that I've been transforming into.

I didn't mind helping out with the loading as long as I got paid, but then the good news was when I finished, each of the workers gets to have one box of POP for free. I'm sure Wallace would like it since he never tried them before in his life.

The crates loading onto the truck were seriously heavy and for some strange reason there were only about nineteen of us including the driver loading the stuff up. Apparently the forklift that was assigned to this warehouse broke down when one of the drivers crashed it onto some electronic hardware supplies. The vehicle lost two of its front wheel and the forklift literally tore from its hold.

After I worked for a couple of hours there at the refinery warehouse, the horn of the building signaled that it was time to lay back and head on home.

"Alright everyone, that's a rap!" said the head of the loading group, "Come back here tomorrow and we'll finish the rest of the payloads. Grab a bag of POP while you're at it" the bag of POP was then quickly followed by my ten bucks, which I gladly accepted within a heartbeat. "Good work again Benjamin. But shouldn't a kid like you be in school right now?"

If he had said that to me a couple of months ago I'd probably be out laughing like a maniac, but instead I simply smiled at him. "Not really. I went to school once, but I figured that it really wasn't my thing"

"A dropout huh…" he said in a slight sense of pity. "Well I guess I shouldn't be prying. Come back again tomorrow and I'll let you in. This place here should suffice for your daily needs. Ok?"

"Yeah, thanks. I'll keep that in mind" and after I got my extra ten bucks from the boss, I put back my favorite brown jacket and headed off back to the slums. Who knew that I'd actually get to make thirty dollars in just one day? I guess this should keep me fed for about a day or two provided if I don't lose my wallet again.

Once I was finally able to make my way to the streets I looked up into the sky and noticed that it was getting pretty late. The gates will probably be closed soon and then I won't be able to enter or exit until tomorrow morning. I again looked at the small amount of cash that I had and roughly guessed the amount I needed to purchase the necessary provisions for home. "Hmm… maybe after a little stop at the groceries, I should stop by Chico's place again" I said to myself before heading off to one of the small grocery store. I know some of the employees there. My face was often regular but only during the weekends or if I have money.

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When I got in through the two automated doors, I noted that there were barely any customers there. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise since this place was hardly attractive and the industrial district wasn't exactly a good place to go shopping.

When I stepped in, I was immediately greeted by one of the friendliest faces ever, "Hey there Ben, nice to see you again"

"Hey there Louise" I greeted the girl back. Her name was Louise Halfore, she was the one who showed me this place when I was out looking for food. She works as a cashier here at this small store during the evening shift and I could not have asked for a friendlier girl than her. She was a year younger than me but she studies in the Bellwood Academy on the island school. She had light brown eyes, black hair curled into pigtails on both ends, a bit shorter than me and since she loves to read all the time, she wears a pair of geeky looking glasses. On her special side however, she indeed had a great sense of humor. During when she was checking all of my things out, we would often trade jokes once in awhile.

"Is this your shift again today?" I continued with a smile.

She smiled back politely and nodded, "Yup. Arnold was suppose to take today's shift but he called in sick today"

"It must be tough working alone all day"

"Nah, I love working" she replied, "Since no one's around home during these times it can get pretty lonely. So I asked the boss to throw me in on whatever shift was open"

"Well good luck with that"

"Are you here on your same routine again?" I gave out a positive sound in reply. "We're out of cream cheese but try the Olive one, I heard it was good" I laughed silently in my head as she pointed to the rack of cheese that she was mentioning. She really knew a lot about me but yet at the same time she knows very little about me. I picked up only what was needed for me to survive. I didn't have the time or the money to spend it on some luxury that everyone else had. Besides, my life was on the run. The last thing I needed was attention from others.

After scanning through the racks and other shelves in the store, I noticed that some of the prices had changed over the weeks. I know it was rather pathetic of me to remember prices of tomatoes and fruits, but it was probably the only thing I could keep my mind occupied. Why don't you go and try telling yourself that you were a loser with no where to go but downward. It's not like I wanted to do this, but since I don't have much entertainment at home other than busting bad guys from time to time, it can get pretty boring back home.

**(J's Bar) (05:30 PM) (Gwen's POV)**

The industrial district was pretty much just the way I imagined it. Factories, pumping up toxic fumes into the air, trucks and other vehicles passing through the roads non-stop, half paid working getting drunk early to sleep the night out and prostitutes walking around looking for their next patron. It wasn't a lot different from the downtown area but the atmosphere here was pretty suspicious and strange. I guess this was probably why Cooper didn't want me anywhere near this place.

When Romero and I entered the district we walked for another ten or so minutes until we reached a small bar at the second corner. "Papi, I'm home" he stated as he entered through the door. I heard a small doorbell chime as it closed back.

"Ah Romero, welcome home my son……………… and who is this lovely lady?" he gestured to me.

"Gwendolyn Tennyson" I introduced myself, "Nice to meet you" I extended my hand to shake and he returned the gesture with a bright sunny smile.

"The name is Chicolo, but my friends call me Chico for short. The pleasure is all mine senorita. Romero, go upstairs and get change. We have customers coming soon" his son nodded and quickly made his way upstairs to do whatever his father told him to do. "So miss Gwendolyn, are you my son's friend?"

"Classmate actually" I clarified, "I just met him today"

"I knew it!" he shouted happily, "My son could attract a girl as beautiful as you……… unless he's wearing his pimp suit ahahahahahahahahaha!" he laughed for a good long time before he continued, "So what can this old man do for you? I have some fine refreshment at the back if you want. Some food or wine, perhaps?"

"No thanks" I waved it off, "I was just wondering if you'd happen to see this boy" I pulled out the old picture that Romero saw a couple of hours ago. The old man looked at it for a moment and made some faces for awhile. "It's an old picture" I added while he was looking, "The boy's probably taller by now"

"Hmm… I see a lot of customers senorita, but I'm afraid I simply cannot describe him without a name"

"His name is Ben" I replied almost immediately after he finished, "Benjamin Tennyson. He has green eyes, fuzzy hair and a brown jacket. I saw him a few times before but never got a chance to talk with him properly.

"Benjamin?" Chicolo replied amazed, "I know many names but I can remember only one boy with the name Benjamin. (looks at picture) Ahh… I see… yes this picture does resemble a lot like him. Yes… that silly smile and that face. It really is like him"

My face almost literally brightened with joy to hear that from him. I knew that this lead was going somewhere but I never thought that I'd actually make it this far at such a short time. "Can you tell me where he lives? When will he come back!?"

"Well, he comes to café once in a long while every now and then" Chico answered holding the picture up, "In fact I believe he came here a few days ago looking for work. He should still probably be around here looking for a job in one of the factories"

"Jobs?" I questioned, "What does he do?"

"He's a freelancer" was his answer, "The boy goes from one place to the other trying to make ends meet. I wonder if he's even eating properly"

"Do you know where he lives?"

"Not exactly" he said a little uncertain. I usually see him come in and out of the slums every now and then. I hope he's not into any of those gang troubles. He's such a good boy" AHA! I knew it! Ben is at the Old Bellwood district after all just like thought. It was the perfect place for any criminal to hide his face and the police don't even show their faces during the night there.

"The slums… of course" I muttered before snatching the picture from the proprietor. "Did he happen to have a strange watch on his left arm? It's rather unusual and he never leaves without it" I knew that if Ben had the Omnitrix strapped onto himself, he wouldn't be that hard to find. It wasn't like there were a thousand Omnitrix around the world now… were there?

"Hmm… I'm afraid I don't know" he answered back to me rubbing his mustache, "He always wears a brown jacket with long sleeves that covers his entire arm. I don't think he ever leaves without it unless he's doing work of course" I knew it. That definitely had to be Ben. The description and the details of his whereabouts were just exactly as I predicted. From that moment on, I didn't think my heart stopped for a single minute of rest. To have this kind of a lead meant almost everything to me.

"Thank you for your help, you've been really helpful" I made a dash for the exit but Chico stopped me.

"Wait, young lady! Don't tell me you plan to go to the slums!"

"I have to…"

"Please be reasonable! That place is a savage ground! You'll be attacked the moment you step through the gate. The curfew starts at nine o'clock and you won't be able to get out until sunrise!"

I paused for a moment trying to get Chicolo's words sink into my head. He knew that going into the slums was a seriously bad move, but I couldn't help it. I was so close to finding Ben and for all I know, he could just be right next door, throwing a tennis ball on the wall of his house or something. I was so close… so close… and I wasn't gonna stop now. "Sorry Chico… but I have to find him" and with that I left the bar and head straight towards the gates of the netherworld itself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The trip to the slums wasn't as far as I thought it would be. But that was because I ran so fast I nearly thought that I left my legs behind. The gate to the old Bellwood was big and strong. It stood about thirty or forty feet high, the length and width was just enough for a single line of vehicles to pass through. I held my chest slight and looked at the graffiti and other disturbing objects on the wall. Deep in my heart I knew that Ben was probably on the other side of this wall. He had to be…

But even if he was in the deepest, darkest part of hell itself, I would go there, knowing full well of the risks and dangers that awaited me. Heh…… he would probably do the same for me.

When I walked into the gates, the SWAT team that stood guard there began to stare at me like I was in some kind of pageant show or something. They didn't bother to stop me because everyone knows that whoever walks through those doors knows of the risks they were taking…… and I knew the risks well. The Slums were a savage land where people can kill others without facing the law to its full extent. I can expect no backup there and no rescue party either. It was just going to be me against half the city's populace.

The streets were quiet and the sidewalk lights didn't seem like they were working anymore. The ground was littered with blood, and the bodies of dead animals. Grass and weeds grew unnoticed and trash were practically everywhere. Either today was the janitor's day off or someone has been messing with the district's eco-system.

But instead of worrying about the environment, I kept my eyes straight and my senses sharp so that I wouldn't be taken by surprised if I should get attacked of course. I walked quietly, trying hard not to attract any attention from hiding eyes. I could that there were people hiding, but it didn't look like they had any intentions of hurting me……yet.

I remember the first time that I became this cautious of my surroundings. It was during the time when I was on a mission in Alaska. I was sent there by high command after a Plumber recon team went to investigate a crashed spaceship. I went there with six other rookie agents because Paullina said that they needed more field experience. I couldn't decline so I went along with it.

After we searched the recon team's last known location, we came upon an abandoned U.S supply yard that was constructed during the Cold War. The building was abandoned when the war ended without bloodshed. When we got there, we found the recon team's distress beacon and what was left of the team itself.

Communication with the outside world was terrible thanks to the constant blizzard happening outside. It was almost like we were in some kind of horror movie or something. The team and I stayed there for a couple of days and when we were able to contact HQ about our situation we finally discovered what really happened to the crashed spaceship and the team that was sent here. Apparently it was a Vulpamancer (Wildmutt) pack, an alien animal with incredible appetite for meat. They made their lair there in the supply yard and were breeding in an alarming rate. The team and I were able to fend them off without any casualties but I knew that fighting a tough species like Vulpamancer wasn't going to be easy.

In the end, high command was forced to use a semi-nuke to destroy the entire facility to keep the animals contained. Me and my team got out ok but not unscathed. Some were traumatically disturb due to living in fear for a whole week.

But I guess that was what I expected from rookies after all…

But I'll probably never forget the experience I felt there. To have your eyes, ears, nose and skin work to their full extent. To know what it felt like to know fear and overcome it. To know that danger and death could be lurking on the next corner. It was a horrifying yet exciting feeling.

"You're looking for someone… aren't you…" my thoughts were quickly dispatched the moment a voice echoed from my side. I leaped from the ground a good six feet away and got into one of my combat stances. But when I finally got a clear picture of who was talking to me, I dropped my guard a little.

It… it was a little girl…

But how could that be? I should've been able to sense her presence more than a mile away. Hmm… maybe my skills were getting sloppy.

She had medium length hair, colorful eyes and she carried with her a small teddy bear half the size of my arm.

"You're looking for someone… aren't you?" she repeated in a cold, dead like tone. Her words were so plain that it almost looked like I was talking to a ghost.

"W… who are you?"

"I'm Alex…" she replied unmoved and unmotivated, "And you're looking for someone"

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you're going the wrong way…" she answered her face showing no emotions at all. "The person you are looking for… is not in that direction" my face froze in place. Who was this girl and how did she know what I was doing? I guess earth really was full of surprises after all.

"Alex!" came another voice from the dark. A few seconds later, a boy a little older than the girl named Alex appeared from the alleyway. "There you are, I've been looking all over for you! Come on, we got to get you home or your fever will come back! Hurry! Ben might come back any minute now" the mere mention of the boy's name echoed in my heart like a yodel in the mountains. I could tell that there was something about this girl that I should believe.

"Hold it" I stated as I approach them. "Do you… do you know where Ben lives?" the blonde boy looked at me strangely but the girl that I was asking the question to looked back at me and extended her hand to me. She held a small object in her fingers but I couldn't tell what it was. The moment she handed the object to me, her eyes suddenly shut and her legs wobbled weakly. Before I knew it… she had fallen right onto the boy's arms.

"Hey Alex! (touch head) Ahhh crap! I knew I shouldn't have let you out of my sight!" and a few seconds later, the boy quickly pulled the girl onto his back and dashed off.

A strange pair that much I could tell…

I wanted to help but it looks like he had things covered. "Well that was something you don't see everyday" but when I opened up the palm of my hand. My heart froze solid like the ice age just turned onto my body. It was… my old hairclip. The one I lost a long time ago. How could she…?

Not wanting to linger on it like I used to, I quickly used up my magical powers to trace the boy's steps as fast as I can. Right now, the closest lead I have was that girl… and whoever she was, she knew where Ben was and I was going to find out one way or the other.

I followed the boy's foot steps through the rough mud that lay on the road. It had begun raining that time but I didn't care. All my attention were now focused on where the boy was going. We crossed through small corridors and alleyways that he crossed many times. I plowed myself through the obstacles and after a five minute chase, I finally came across a two floor house near the beach at the end of the district. Was this the place where Ben lived? If so… then I guess this is what to be expected.

I waited five long years to see Ben again… and now… I was going to see him. The door was left unlocked so I entered the place without much of a hitch. There wasn't a single beam of light in the house, so I was guessing that the power must've been out due to the lockdown. When I got in, I noticed that the boy that I followed was sitting by the couch along with that girl who gave me my hairclip.

"Ben's not here right now" she spoke up coughing to me. The boy also noticed my presence but as long as I didn't provoke him he wasn't gonna do anything harmful.

"Hey, who are you?" he asked me.

I was about to reply when Alex answered for me. "Don't worry… she won't hurt us. She's just looking… for Ben" again she began coughing out but this time a little more intense.

"Lie down Alex… you need your rest" the boy ordered before pulling up a blanket onto her. Once Alex was in a comfortable position he motioned to me. "I don't know who you are, but if Alex trusts you, then I guess I can trust you"

"Thanks" at least now I have a friend here in the district. "So… what's wrong with Alex?"

"Oh she's just got a little fever" he answered back with a slightly worried smile, "It's nothing serious. Ben just said that she needed a lot of rest"

"I hope she gets better soon. So…… where's Ben?"

"He's out right now. He'll probably be back later. Why don't you sit down and wait for awhile. I got to get some pillows from the second floor" I complied with his hospitality and waited for Ben to return. My heart did not stop pumping at all the moment I entered the house. To think that I was actually this close to him made me feel uneasy…… and right now… I felt like I shouldn't be in here. What will happen when he comes back? What should I do? What should I say? How will he react to me being here? Man, all these questions were bustling in my head and it were times like this that I needed someone to help me.

"Ahh man… this is so messed up" I cursed myself. I knew I was being reckless! I walked into the lion's den without a piece of meat to agitate its hunger, instead I brought a spear to kill it where it was strongest. Maybe I should just leave and come back again another day. Yeah… that sounds like a plan! By then I'll probably have some ammunition of words to say to him. Ok, we'll go with that, I'll leave and come back. I'll just tell the kids here that I'll make an appointment tomorrow.

But before I could open my mouth or take a step back, I heard the front door creaked open slowly. My head jerked in that direction almost instantly I was even afraid that it didn't snap off. A figure of a boy about my height entered, swinging in a small plastic bag with some goodies inside. His body was soaking wet from the rain and his hair fell right down to his face making him unable to see who was in the room.

"I'm home…" he said wearily like a husband just returning from work. I wanted to say something to let him look at me, but it looked like the boy beat me to it.

"Oh hey, welcome back boss. What'cha got there?"

"Just some provisions for the week" he replied, "They're a little soak so dry them off first" after he gave the kid the plastic bag he removed his long sleeve jacket and hung it by the door. When he was done, the watch on his left arm became clear to me. It was indeed the Omnitrix. "How's your sister doing Wallace?"

"She's doing fine" the boy I now know as Wallace answered, "She's sleeping over there by the couch. Oh and you got a visitor"

Ben was still the same kid that I remembered all those years ago. His hair was still practically the same but his face matured over time. The last two times that I saw him, I couldn't really tell if he was fit, but now that he took off his jacket, I could see all the iron he had on his arms. There were abs growing on his abs and hell he might even pass for a true athlete if given time.

When his eyes finally focused on me my body suddenly felt like it wanted to turn into one of the furniture and left ignore. And out of all the things I could've said on that night… I said the stupidest thing of all…

"Hi… Ben…"


	6. I Found You

Chapter 6: I Found You…

**Chapter 6: I Found You…**

**(The slums) (Ben's House) (Gwen's POV)**

"Hi… Ben…" those were the first two words I said to him as he finally noticed my presence in the room. As I analyzed his face even further than before I was able to see that he truly was the boy that I've been looking for. Green eyes, fuzzy hair and an attitude that shouted out 'I'm king of the world'

…

…

…

Ok maybe king of the world wasn't exactly the right words to describe it, but it was kinda sorta like that. The bonus features that he added were definitely the facial hair and those muscles on his body. It made me wonder if he was eating properly. I was afraid I might actually be looking at his bones but I guess I shouldn't have been too worried about him.

"Hi yourself" Ben replied acting like a complete stranger. I guess this was to be expected. He hasn't seen me in more than five years now, he couldn't recognize me anymore. "And you are?" he motioned to me to answer back. He must be thinking that I was some kind of intruder or something.

"I'm sorry" great, now I was apologizing for no reason, "We met in Burger Palace… remember?" hopefully that should satiate his thirst for answers. "I help you fight off those thugs that came crashing the place"

I was glad that his face brightened up for a moment there. It seemed he was able to remember me after all… or at least the 'me' that he doesn't know about. "Oh yeah, I remember now. You're that alien girl that's been going around asking about them alien heroes. You're pretty bold to come all the way down to the Slums. Usually no one lasts here for more than ten minutes without firearms"

I let out a silent sigh in my head as he acted like I was still that girl that he met weeks ago. "Yeah… so I've heard" I replied trying not to get out of character.

He let out a smile before offering me a seat, "Wallace can you go open those two sodas from the groceries? Just bring'em here and take your sister back to my bed. It'll be raining all night tonight" the boy nodded politely at us before leaving towards the kitchen. It was like he was some sort of personal butler or something. "So Ms. Alien, how can I help you with your so called 'research' thesis? If you want I have some lovely pictures of several aliens in my cabinet"

"That's ok" we quickly grab ourselves a seat on opposite side of what looks like a coffee table. It didn't look like it was part of the house furniture so I'm guessing Ben must've salvaged it from one of the abandoned houses nearby. "I was just taking a walk and I found that girl (Alex) wobbling around"

"Yeah… sure you are…" again he was teasing me with that goofy grin of his.

"Hey, it's the truth!"

"Yeah… you were just… 'taking a walk' in the most dangerous neighborhood in the entire city where people can mug you, rape you or worst… kill you without second thought" again he was able to bounce another of my excuses back at me like a trampoline. But he did have a point though. Who in the right mind would wanna take a walk here in no man's land? A guy who wants to die? Maybe, but still…

"Do you always need a reason?" I grumbled at him trying to keep my character in check. I didn't want him to know who I was just yet because it just wouldn't be right.

"Not unless you want to give me one" he replied grinning at me. Yup, that was Ben alright, always the one with the smart mouth. He always did have a smart remark behind his arsenal of words. I really wanted to give him a piece of my mind and get it over with but I had to watch my temper. Going on his bad side won't exactly benefit me or the Plumbers and this mission means a lot to me, Cooper and grandpa Max.

But before I could say another word to him, the boy Wallace came by and placed two cans of sodas on the table. He looked almost like a butler at closer inspection. His arms and legs were firm and his posture was just as stable as the next guy. He had the makings of a true gentleman. "Thank you" I grab the soda can and gulp down a couple of gluks before letting out a sigh. As Ben slowly made himself home I took a little look at my surroundings to see what he had been going through the past five years.

His house was a total mess, that one word says it all. Several parts of his roof were leaking; the windows were all jammed and nailed up together several times, they must've broke down a long time ago by a storm or perhaps one of the gangs. The walls were in a state of decay and termites seemed to be chewing around it without him even knowing. "How long have you…"

"Been living here?" he interrupted me, "About three years. Well… back then the power was still on. Sorry for the mess, I wasn't exactly expecting company from the outside district to be here. I know it's not what you're used to, but its home……… what's left of it that is…"

"But don't you ever want to get out and live in an apartment or something?"

"Trust me, I tried. The only thing I'm lacking now is employment" he placed his palms together trying to look all wise and smart, but I know him better than that. But he did have a point though. The city's employment rate is currently on the red and new job offers were already being filled in by the other states like Texas and North and South Dakota. It became quite strange on how the mayor was still able to run the city even without the support of the entire populace.

"Hey Ben" came Wallace's voice. "I'm going out to see the garden, be back in a bit" Ben simply gave him a positive sound before returning his gaze to me.

When the boy was out, he smirked at me, "His name's Wallace if you're wondering. He may look like a dweeb, but he's a good kid"

Dweeb…

Oh man, I can't believe he's still using that word. To think for five years, the least he could do was to think of a better nickname for others. But I guess that's Ben for ya. He never changes, no matter what how much the world changes. "Where are his parents?" I asked feeling slightly curious.

"They're dead" he said it without hesitation on any feelings at all.

"Oh… I... I'm sorry"

"Don't be" as both our eyes turned to the table he began to explain, "Back when the lockdown was in effect, his parents were among the first to protest against the wall. They gathered numbers of supporters and caused a small riot at the gate. When things began to get ugly, they were the first to get shot by the police"

"That's… that's terrible" I pitied that boy. His parents were only doing what they thought was right and they were killed by their own ideals.

"It's not that bad" Ben continued, "After the district went down the drain, I kinda took him in and took care of him"

"So the one that he just took upstairs was his sister?"

"Yeah… but they're not blood related though. He just found her one day on the streets alone and asked me to take care of her too" he added smiling at me, "But enough about us" he then put his soda can back on the table before starring directly at my eyes. "Tell me more about you…… why are you here?"

My mind quickly raced for an answer but right now all I could do was pause and look completely like an idiot. "I… well… I was researching about aliens and…"

"Did you ever know that you're a terrible liar?" Ben once again interrupted me smirking all the way. Well I guess he was right. I couldn't possibly lie myself even to save my own life. As I looked at him again straight in the face, I could tell now that all of my excuses had to come off. The truth had to be known if I was to get this heavy load off my chest.

I sighed… and exhaled a good load of air from my mouth. The way for me to explain everything to him was like a time bomb just waiting to explode. I had to pick my words carefully or else things might just go from bad to ugly to worst. "Alright… you got me" I confessed finally, "I'm not here to do research on aliens…"

"Oh gee, what a surprise" he said sarcastically which really made me wanna put a sock up his face.

I stood up from my seat and made my way slowly towards the broken window that overlooked the cabbage garden that he tended. My heart was racing and so was my brain. I've been waiting for five years to get to Ben and here he was sitting on the couch only a few feet away from me. If I knew I was going to find him this quickly, I would've prepared a speech for him or a lecture or something. But right now I was just as empty as a clip on tie. Man I wish I could just go back in time and think of something to say.

As I looked to the night sky, I could hear him shifting his sitting position. "Well? I'm waiting…"

Well… here goes nothing…

"The truth is……… I'm looking for someone" I admitted half heartedly.

"Someone?"

"Yeah… someone very special to me" I turned my face to him smiling slightly. "He… he was my cousin… He disappeared about five years ago back in our hometown in North Bellwood during an accident. His parents died and so he's probably alone right now. I figured that if I find him, I thought everything would go back to being the same again"

He gave me a slightly confused face as he replied, "So… what makes you think you'll find him here? (pause) Old Bellwood is a big district and no offense… but 75 percent says that he's either in the dark side of the slums or buried somewhere in this place" I let out a silent chuckle go through my head as he said that. He still doesn't get it? After all the clues I've given him? I guess it's just like Cooper said before. He's no Sherlock Holmes.

"No… I don't think he'll roll over and play dead that easily" I continued with my little story, "He's stronger than most guys that I know and a lot faster too. He won't go down. And besides…… he has a… 'gift'… and plenty of instinct"

"Sounds like a great guy"

"Yeah……" I smiled affectionately at him. "Not only that but he's also brave… but a little small on the brains ahehehehehehe. (pause) But I guess that's just how he is"

"Well sorry to disappoint lady. But brains don't exactly count much in this town if you catch my drift" he then again shifted his sitting position to a more comfortable pose.

"Yeah… I can see that" I answered back to him with a small freckled smile. "And you know what's so funny about this (huh?) Because he's sitting right in front of me…… right now" Ben's face immediately turned and twisted like he was trying to decipher what I had just said in the last sentence. There was no lie, no more tricks. Just plain old fashioned truth.

"Excuse me?"

"It's been so long Ben" I continued trying to contain my emotions so they wouldn't burst out. "You've really grown… and that Omnitrix looks a bit tight on you" the mere mention of the device on his wrist quickly sprung the boy into action. His combat stance was like that of a martial artist but it was still full of flaws and many openings. But since he was living in the slums I guess I shouldn't be careless. His eyes were sharp and focused like that of a Teradon in Terra V and his fists looked like they've been punching things harder than skin and bones.

"W… who are you?!" he demanded looking like he was just about to attack. "How do you know about the Omnitrix!?"

"You still don't know?" we both looked at each other not once turning our gaze to anything else. To think that he would actually forget how I looked like. But then a thought came to my mind when I remembered the hairclip that the girl gave to me a few minutes ago. "Here… maybe this will help…" the moment I put my old hairclip on my head, Ben's eyes and muscles softened like a balloon that had just been popped. He remembers me… "Hi… Ben… long time no see"

**(Ben's POV)**

My body froze like it had just gone through the coldest part of the North Pole and back again. I lowered my fists down and opened my eyes to the girl that was standing right in front of me. Orange flashy hair that looked like leafs in autumn, green emerald eyes, aqua blue shirt. What more could I possibly need? It was her… it was… her.

"Gwen…?" I muttered out silently. My soul literally left my body for a moment there as I looked at once more. I could feel my eyes fogging up and my heart stopped almost completely.

"Hey…" she added smiling at me. I don't know what I was thinking at that point, but when I was finally able to feel my legs again, I dashed right to her and gave that girl a hug of a life time. I felt the warmth on her shirt and the feint hint smell of her perfume. It was the same one she used during parties and casual. I usually see a bottle of it in her room and I wouldn't be surprised if she had one in her purse right now.

"It's you…" I managed to blurt out trying to gather up my breath, "I don't… believe it. How is it possible?"

"I had my ways" she replied smirking at me. Hey eyes flickered at me so affectionately that it seemed like she missed looking at me. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because right now I felt the same way. It has been so long… so long since I last saw her. We both stood there in silence for awhile until I heard Gwen sniffing at me. Before I knew it, she quickly pushed me away with an 'ewww' sound. I fell right off and broke the wooden table that I salvaged. "Ewww! One word: Hygiene!" she said in disgust. "Since when was the last time you had a decent bath. Gross"

"Well excuse me!" I barked back standing off from the table, "Baths aren't exactly my number one priority. If you haven't noticed the Slums aren't exactly a place for clean people. Besides, I'll probably get even dirtier tomorrow"

"That's no surprise. You never liked going to bath even when you were a kid………… and you still are now"

"Well pardon me Ms. Fancy Pants, I didn't know that staying clean became a law" I said sarcastically getting pissed off by her attitude. She hasn't changed a bit, even after all these years, she's the same person. By the time we even realized what was going on, we were already fighting just like we did about seven years ago. I don't quite remember what we were arguing about, but after a minute later, we went from baths to alien space craft designs.

Once the last of us stopped to catch our breaths, we suddenly began to laugh for no particular reason. I crouched down on my knees and held the end of the sofa trying to contain my laughter. To be honest, I don't think I've laughed that hard for a long time now. My jaws were so used to frowning and smirking that they practically glued themselves into position. A minute later, our eyes met again, this time with a long deep emotion hidden behind it.

"How did you find me?" I asked finally, letting my heart lift for the first time in a long while.

Gwen smiled back affectionately as well and said, "With the clues you've left behind… I got to admit… it wasn't easy. But if you left some stench behind, I would've tracked you down sooner or later" she paused for a moment getting a good look at my face again, "I really missed you Ben" she said unconsciously, "Not that I missed you 'missed you' I just… missed you"

I chuckled, "Hehehe… yeah, you're Gwen alright. But I have to admit though. Even after seven years, I expected you to be a bit… taller. Have you been drinking milk regularly?" I put my hand above her head, measuring our heights. I remember that we used to compare who was taller back in the days.

But then simply pat my hand away, looking a little annoyed, "Oh grow up" she groaned, "If I remember correctly, you were the one who always hated broccoli. I on the other hand, have a perfect vitamin balance"

"Hehehe… yeah I guess you got me there" I replied smiling still. "But enough about me, what about you? How are your parents? Is uncle Frank ok?" I quickly gestured her to return to her seat which she accepted wholeheartedly.

"He got older" was her answer, "He's still working, but he plans to retire after I graduate from college"

"Oh yeah… you're studying in Bellwood University, right?" she nodded back in reply. "Well I guess you can consider yourself lucky. Not a lot of students can enter that school without a recommendation. And most of them usually get turned away because of their status"

"So I've heard" Gwen then quickly took a more relaxing position on the sofa to ease the tension around us. "And you won't believe what they call me there"

"Alien girl?" I smirked which surprised her a little bit.

"How'd you know?"

"Oh, words get around once in awhile. You never know who might be listening around here" I added with a smug. "Besides, with all the question you've been asking about me and my alien heroes, I'd call you that myself too hehehehe"

"Ha ha ha… funny" if her voice could be anymore sarcastic than it was now, I'd probably fall for it. But before we could continue the conversation, a drop of water began to trickle down on Gwen's head making her look up to what was producing the drops. I knew I should've fixed that leak yesterday.

"Yeah… I should probably fix that" I stated standing up. But before I took another step forward, Gwen turned to me.

"How are you fairing Ben?" I had to say that, that was a bold question to ask someone who had been living in the slums for years.

"Oh pretty well" I answered while taking some tools from my cabinet. "I've met ends meet in the Industrial District working on all sorts of jobs. The good thing about this place is that the taxes are non-existent here. I don't need to worry about water or maintenance bills and especially electric bills………" I then remembered that I don't have electricity at all. "Well… not that we have any electricity at all that is"

"But how could you stand living here?" she asked, standing away from the now wet sofa, "I mean… there are practically gang wars happening every night here in this area. The crime rate is up and you barely have a life around here"

I felt kind of insulted by her words, but I knew that she only spoke the truth. She was right, I didn't have a life here. But I couldn't turn back now. It was already too late for me. "Well if it was so bad, why did you come here anyway?"

"Did it look like I have a choice?"

…

…

…

I paused for a moment looking back at her. She was right, as always. "I guess not…"

I can't really tell what had happened after that point. All I knew that Gwen and I spent the last two hours talking and reminiscing about old times. I could feel that she was holding back information but I couldn't care less about the details of her life. But just as we finished off some of my emergency supplies, I noticed a strange sound coming from her purse. It didn't sound like a phone ring tone but I was sure that I heard it somewhere before.

The moment that sound occurred, she suddenly yelped like she was trying to cover something. "Oh, let me get that" she quickly nabbed away her purse from the table and ruffled through it hurriedly as if she was looking for a needle. But due to her clumsy hands, she dropped it on the floor.

At first I couldn't exactly see what it was that she dropped, but as luck would have it, it landed right next to my foot. "I got it" I smiled… but that smile turned to a frown when I realized what I was holding in my hand. We all know that phones are usually light, small, and easy to carry around, but this phone was bigger. It had a green symbol on its center piece and an emblem that I would recognize anywhere.

It was a Plumber badge communicator…

"This is…… this is a Plumber badge" I could tell the moment I laid my eyes on it. Plumber gears were usually kept around to look like a toy to the regular humans, but once you get the feel of it, you can tell that no gear on earth could hold something that complex. But what was Gwen doing with it? "How did you get this?" I asked.

But all I got in return was a silent stare and a cold shoulder to boot. But that alone was enough to prove that Gwen did not find me alone. "Gwen… are you a… Plumber?" she nodded silently and sadly in reply. So I guess my theory was true after all. The Plumbers were still after me… or at least, the Omnitrix that was a part of me. I had once given the thought that they would've stopped looking for me but I guess wishful thinking only leads to greater disappointment.

I placed the badge down on the table and looked at my cousin's face. Her eyes still closed but her conscious still there. "So…… I guess the jig is up then huh?" I raised my hand in defeat. "You probably have agents all over the city looking for me and a strike team ready to take me down"

"More or less…" she replied finally. When she finally managed to look me in the eye, I felt a slight hint of determination on her face. "But I'm guessing you really want some answers huh. (nod) Well ok… here goes. Yes, I am a Plumber Ben. Grandpa Max reassembled almost all the Plumbers in the galaxy and making them an active force once again"

"So he sent you hear to capture me?"

"No…" was her answer, "He wants you to join him" my face almost literally spun with confusion. Can this be true? Grandpa Max wanting my help? "With the Omnitrix, who knows how many lives we could save? It'll be just like old times back during that summer vacation"

"Forget it!" I raised my voice slightly in deny. "I am never going back no matter how much he begs me to" I turned around, walking towards the empty fire place.

"But… but why?"

"I… I have my reasons…" we both stopped our conversation for a brief second trying to decipher what we have been arguing. I couldn't bare to go back again. To that man of all people. I'd rather be gift wrapped right now and be delivered to Vilgax than to meet with him again.

"Is this about that incident?" Gwen asked as she sat back onto the table. I didn't reply, because I knew that she knew. "Ben, it was five years ago. Ancient history. There was nothing you could do to save them"

"No…" I muttered silently, "I could've saved them…… but I was too confused…" I starred blindly at the fire place trying to get its cold feeling to seep into my body, but even though its dark corners stood as damp as the rain forest itself, I could still feel the fires that burned deep inside my heart, the flames that destroyed my home and the family that once resided in it.

That's the thing about memories. As long as you keep it, the feeling would remain with you… until you forget it.

-Memories is what you make of it-

-JJ- (I have no idea who that guy is)

"Ben… please…" I snapped away from my nightmares by Gwen's plead. "Think about it. If you just come with me, everything will be set up straight again. You don't have to stay here anymore, you can stop running from the world and stay with us. Didn't you say that you've always wanted to be a Plumber?" I would've laughed my heart out at that time if it weren't for my sad attitude. Again of course, she was right. I did want to become a Plumber. When I first came to know the Plumbers, I idolized them as heroes and protectors of the galaxy like something you would see in a cheesy cartoon series or something. But now… five years older, and five years wiser, I knew that those shows were nothing but hopeful images for the kids, just so that they can escape the cruel truths of reality.

"That was a long time ago" I replied holding true to my word. "At first the Plumbers were the good guys… but now… I don't even know which side I'm supposed to be on" that was probably my final answer to her plead. Any moment now, she'll probably call the strike team and have them take me by force. I could hear her picking the Plumbers badge from my table and opening its radio chatter. "So… are you going to arrest me?"

I could feel her eyes on me like a bird in the tree observing something from a normal POV. But then suddenly… her next words surprised me. "No…" I looked back at her face, looking a little confused myself. "My mission here was to find you and bring you back to Mt. Rushmore in three months time. The semester should be over by then. Luckily for you, I still got about two months and a week"

"So…? What's you're point?"

"Two months is a long time Ben and from what I've learned from psychology 11, 'time' is all that is needed to change a person's opinion. I can wait for another answer" heh… I take back what I said earlier. Gwen did change………. but just a slight teeny bit. Afterwards, she picked up her communicator and placed the earphone around her ear. "Yeah… it's me" I could hear some gibbering on the other side of the line but I couldn't tell what they were saying. "No I didn't find him. Not even a tiny bit of clue. I'm gonna try looking for him again tomorrow (loud gibbering) Ouch… ok ok ok… geeze sorry pops. Didn't know curfew was in affect already. Alright, I'll call you back tomorrow. Night…" and with that she hung up.

"You're taking a huge risk by lying, you know that?"

But she only shrugged it off in reply, "Yeah… but it'll be all worth it"

I can't really remember when I smiled this much. I was smiling so many times that I even began to feel like my jaws were locked into position. "You'd better head back o the academy now. The curfew should be on in a few minutes. Come on, I'll go XLR8 and take you there"

"Light speed travel? Please" she snorted, "Walking and running was so last century. Instantaneous teleportation is the new thing nowadays" she then opened up a strange gateway in my living room, glowing with a mysterious purple light.

"Hey… you're really getting the hang of this"

"Practice makes perfect" she had made a powerful doorway into her room that surpasses both time and space. I won't ask for the detail because I know that I wouldn't understand a single word that she says. "So……I'll see you again?"

"If I'm still alive by then… yeah…… maybe you will" I answered back waving her goodbye. But just before she stepped into her hand made portal, she gave out a quick turn and hugged my entire body, taking me by complete surprise. I was surprised, that much was true, but the long feeling in my heart took over.

"I missed you Ben…" she whispered to me as a drop of tear fell off her eye.

It took me a few seconds to grasped that small action, but hearing those words from her mouth gave me back my sanity. I took my courage and gladly hugged her back whispering the same words to her ear. "I missed you too cousin…" we held each other like that for about two minutes or so before we she finally broke off.

"Oh… that reminds me" she ruffled up her wallet and took a bunch of fifty dollar bills out. "Here, you can use this to last a couple of days" The money she offered was probably more than enough to last me a few months off the coast of Florida. I don't know how she managed to come up with that kind of dough but hell like they say 'Just because I like the burger doesn't mean I want to meet the cow'. The offer was very tempting and only a complete idiot would deny such a gift………… and sadly enough, I was one of those idiots.

"No thanks" I declined, pushing her hand away. "I'd rather not get into debts. Besides, if I can survive this long, I think I'll last a few more weeks"

She seemed rather surprised for me to decline that money, but she respected my wishes. "You sure? (nod) Alright then… how about we meet at Hoche department store tomorrow around 12? We can have lunch and… catch up on old times"

My answer was rather hesitant. The Hoche store was probably one of the fanciest place in the entire city, funded by the mayor himself. "Well…" I replied, "I guess we could hang out like the old days"

"Except that you won't be begging me to loan you money for every game and fast food joint you see"

"Hey, I was a growing kid" I replied argued.

"Yeah…… but you were growing the wrong way" we both chuckled. "So you'll come?"

"Sure… it's not like I have anything better to do"

"Promise?" she hit me right on the nail at that question. She knew I was a man of my word and I would never go back on a promise, no matter how small it was. I groaned silently to myself and nodded.

"Yes… I promise"

She smiled back and let out a satisfying sigh at the end. "Good. Anyway, I gotta go. The headmistress of the dorm will be worried sick about me if I'm not in my room. Later…" her last word was said with so much affection that I would've cried. But too bad… all my tears had probably dried up already. And with one final wave of farewells, the portal closed up, leaving nothing but a black mark on the floor of my carpet.

"Awww man!"

**(Gwen's dorm room) (Gwen's POV)**

The moment the portal closed up behind me, I felt like the whole weight of the world just lifted away from my shoulders. It was a great feeling but it also felt very tiring. If Paullina knew that I let my target get away just like that, she would've lectured me for hours about discipline and order. But I know Ben. I know he wouldn't run he was too prideful to even consider that option. As I heard the head mistress's voice outside my room, I quickly jumped onto my bed and tucked myself in.

I heard the lock click open and I notice Mrs. Randolph's face peek through the corner. "Ms. Tennyson?" I pretended to get up from my bed and look drowsy. "Yes Mrs. Randolph?" I answered drowsily.

"Oh… I'm sorry to wake you up. I thought I heard a noise and…"

"It's probably from the Slums" I answered pointing at my opened window. "There's been a lot of sounds lately. Gunshots and stuff"

"Yes, perhaps" Polly smiled at me, "Well… good night Ms. Tennyson. You have an early day tomorrow and I don't want people oversleeping their days in bed"

"Yes… good night" and with that, she closed my door and walked away. I felt tired too. After that long talk with Ben, I didn't think I was even gonna make it through the night. As I shifted my body to the other side, I noted a message icon on my laptop meaning someone had left me a Plumber mail.

"Hmm… a message?" I clicked the box open and bam came the video mail. And luckily for me… it was none other than my backup partner, Cooper.

"Gwen, if you're hearing this message, that must mean you're at home" he began. "I won't be in my office for a couple of days. Maxwell just recalled me back to file in some new weapon specs that were confiscated by some alien smugglers yesterday. If you need contact me, just send it through my phone number. Oh and here's a list of peoples and places that you might want to visit for your investigation. Later… bye" and with that he hung up at the end of the message. The list he gave me was extremely long and it would probably take me months just to finish it all.

But that list wasn't really necessary anymore. I found Ben and I wasn't gonna tell any o them… yet. I know that I might get fired from doing this, but I just can't bear the thought of having to take Ben down by force. But even if I was given no choice but to fight him, I knew that even the entire Plumber organization would have a tough time just getting the boy to sit.

I deleted the message from my computer and after changing into my PJs and jumping onto my bed, I could only wonder… what could Ben be doing now?

**(Ben's house) (Ben's POV)**

I sat on the floor completely exhausted after Gwen had disappeared. I spent the last five minutes wiping off that black spot she left behind using that portal spell. Even though it had just happened a few minutes ago, I still couldn't believe that this was actually happening. My cousin… the one I thought I would never meet again for the rest of my natural life… the one who I thought had been living a normal life had just walked into my house through my door and talked to me.

Heh… if I had a video camera right now, I might actually make this into a comedy series of the century. Who knows, it might even make into the top ten of AHV (America's Hilarious Videos). But I digress. She was with the Plumbers for Christ sake. It was only a matter of time before one of her superiors finds out and orders in a strike team to take my head.

Maybe if I make a break for it now going XLR8, I could make it to the southern border of Texas and leave all the way to Mexico.

…

…

…

No… that wouldn't be right. I made a promise to Gwen and hell I could never break a promise. Besides, if the Plumbers know I'm here I bet my Omnitrix that they'd probably have the seacoast blocked off, the roads patrolled and the sky scanned. And if by some miracle I did manage to break through the barricades, where would I go next? I can barely speak Mexican and to find another hideout like this would take at least eight magical wishes from a genie.

The reason why I picked this city was because of the protection it gave and the reputation it earned during the years. This city was barely visible in the modern map of America today due to its infamy and corruption and with that, it provided me with the perfect cover to hide my trail. After I managed to buy myself a house, the chaos that engulfed the city afterward cloaked my presence even more.

For a whole year, I never once turned into any of my alien heroes. I knew that if I used the Omnitrix, the Plumbers or some other alien bounty hunter would detect the energy signature and come chasing me right away. Usually when I would see a crime, I wouldn't even hesitate about using my powers. But the risk of exposure was too great, even for the people around me. Being normal was cool and all… but not without demerits. Restricting myself to only using the Omnitrix when danger is focused to me, I've seen hundred of people die and thousand of children become orphan within a blink of an eye.

I always kept telling myself that this was for the greater good… that by keeping my secret to myself I could save millions more.

I know that it was unpopular idea to the victim… hell I even began questioning myself that too. All the lives I could've saved, all the crimes I could've prevented. Hell… I could've even prevented this district from becoming a hell hole that it was now. But this is the path I have chosen and I have to stick with it no matter what happens.

There is no room for regrets now. I have delved too deep to go back and now… it was only a matter of time before this whole thing blows over.

I don't know what Gwen was planning but I could tell that she was going to try and persuade me to come back. I had to be ready…


	7. Just Like Old Times

Chapter 7: Just Like Old Times

**Chapter 7: Just Like Old Times**

**(Hoche department store) (01:04 PM) (Gwen's POV)**

If you ever felt like you had an itch at the back of your body, that you could never ever reach, then that's how I was feeling right now when I arrived at the Hoche mall. I was sitting on a waiting bench about a few feet away from the mall entrance. The mall was open without any delays, the temperature was nominal and the weather was bright and cloudless.

With Cooper gone and my weekly report to Paullina isn't due for another two days I decided to spend the time I had with Ben. I know by my eyeball that he was a man of his word and would never break a promise, even if his life counted on it. If he was still the Ben I remembered all those years ago then he would come.

But maybe leaving him in the slums like that was probably not one of my best choices. Who knows, maybe he's changed and already packed up and left the city? Hell he could be on his way to Mexico right this minute without me even knowing.

Thinking about this now, I began to feel a bit of uneasiness go through my spine. I want to believe Ben was still Ben, but the instinct in my guts is telling me something else. He was already five minutes late and that alone made me wonder if he was even coming at all.

Ohhh! I feel so stupid! Why the hell did I just leave like that?! I should've taken precaution. Maybe putting a tracking device on his pocket or a sample of his DNA or something! Ughh… but it was too late. I really need to keep my head in the world nowadays, I'm really getting sloppy in my own work. I sighed depressingly out loud and put my head in the palm of my hand.

Note to self: Knock your head six times on the wall when you get back to your room

But instead of pondering about Ben's absences, I decided to distract myself onto other endeavors to keep myself occupied. I looked at some of the pedestrian crossing the street and looked inside the mall. There were many stores and restaurant on the first floor which made me anxious to go shopping. Back when I was a kid, I was crazy about going to the mall and hanging out with my parents. I had a knack of keeping up with the latest fashion of today, which earned me some rep during my high school years.

As I scanned around the inner plaza, I noticed a clothes store La Shi Shi just right over in the other side. They had the latest gowns and all the most fashionable accessories in the entire world. Hell Madam La Shi Shi was said to be the greatest designers of all time. She even has a closet the size of a house.

But just as I scanned through the store's window display, a small family suddenly blocked my view, making it impossible for me to see the other side. "Aww… crap" I muttered silently while I waited for the kids to go away. But then suddenly… I heard the cutest little voice I've ever heard.

"Hey grandpa" said the boy, "Can you buy this for me? Please?" the kid was probably about nine or ten years old. He had a red T-shirt and his hair was brown. He was pointing to a small toy that was on display in the toy store window display case. I couldn't tell what it was due to its small size.

"No way" came his sister… or what I think was his sister. She was about nine or ten as well wearing a purple outfit and a feather cap hat. "Grandpa's buying me a new hat, he doesn't have time for your silly toys"

"Hey, they're not silly! Aqualimpvader is the new hit on TV right now!"

"Like I said… silly toys" they were bickering just like how Ben and I used to fight back when we were ten. We would always have some smart remarks hiding under our backs. But as I looked at them now, I wonder if we ever meant any of those words. As I watch them tear each other hair out, a large old man came by to split the two of them.

"Alright you two, there's no need to fight" he said gently to them, "We still have plenty of time. So which one do you want me to get ya?" just looking at this scene right before me, I began to think back at the time when Ben and I were still kids. A few weeks before our Birthday, grandpa Max took us to the mall to get each of us a gift. I don't remember what he got for me then but I remember me and Ben were bickering about the same thing.

Ben got himself a new Sumo Slammer action figure I believe which was probably the only thing he was interested other than the Omnitrix.

After that small family headed into the shop to buy that toy, I couldn't but let a silent tear go down my face. I sure miss those good old days, hell I even wish that we didn't grow up. Just because of one incident our family, our bonds broke apart like a thread that had been cut. I always thought that our bonds were tighter than the grease of the swamp world in Gorea IIX. But I guess all good things must have an end.

"You do know that sighing is very rude, right?" I was instantly brought out of my dream world when that voice echoed behind me. When I jerked my head around, Ben stood in front of me, wearing that same old jacket that he wore a few days ago. "Hey"

"Ben!" I don't know what came over me, but I was just so glad that he was here. I got up from my seat and gave him one of kind hugs. "You made it"

"Did you think that I would just leave and disappear like before again?" he questioned with a know-it-all face. "Well… maybe a little" I answered still holding onto his jacket. "Come on, let's get you something to eat"

"I'll take a burger"

"Oh no you don't. For once you're eating real food. Not that junk food you eat everyday"

"Hey! A full on burger is a complete breakfast meal! It's got the bread, cheese, veggies, tomatoes, eggs and let's not forget the ham"

"Please Ben… for once in your life, that thing is gonna kill you one day"

"Yeah… well not soon enough" he muttered silently.

And so we spent about an hour walking around the mall looking through stores and window displays. We didn't really say much since none of us knew what to talk about either. Usually by now we'd probably be arguing about something that isn't even related to the first topic. I offered him to watch a movie of his choice but he declined it. And then I offered him for a little lunch in a fancy 5 star restaurant but even that he didn't want to do. I wanted to get him somewhere quiet so we can talk and sort things out.

I know it was a long shot since Ben was never a really good listener, but it was a risk I had to take. Besides, if that didn't work, there's always Plan B. A strike team was ready with just a phone call away.

WHAT!?

Ugrhhhh! What am I thinking!? Stupid Gwen stupid Gwen. We're here to try and talk to Ben not bust his ass out of the slums. Oh… man… I am the worst.

"So… where do you plan to take me next?" I shifted my gaze back to Ben as he stopped at the center fountain of the mall. There were several fast food stands sitting on the sidelines so it made to be the perfect meeting point.

"Hey, wanna grab an ice cream?" I pointed to the small ice cream salesman nearest to us and luckily, Ben seemed to have agreed. When we got there, the salesman looked at us with a happy go lucky smile.

"Hey there you two" he said cheerfully, "What can I get ya? Chocolate? Vanilla? Sunday? Or single cone with all?"

"I'll take the first choice" Ben replied looking all cool and all.

"I'll take the strawberry" I answered.

After salesman took up the cones and handed it to us, he added with a small remark, "Right. Here you go. Two cones for you two. Have a happy date" What? A date?

"Oh no" I answered jokingly, "We're not on a date. He's my cousin/classmate" Ben and I answered almost immediately together but with different conclusion. We looked at each other for a moment giving out awkward stares before replying to the salesman again, "Old relative/acquaintance" again we looked at each other. But this time I was giving him the 'what the hell are you saying?' look.

"So… which one is it?" the salesman asked us.

After a short pause, Ben and I agreed on one final answer, "Friend…" and with that we both took our treats and walked away to one of the benches by the manmade bridge which served as a meeting point for students and teenagers. Neither of us spoke for a whole five minute or so. We just spent the whole day watching the water fountain do its thing.

I really wanted to ask Ben so many things, but I don't really know if he would answer me honestly. I mean come on… its been five years and I was so sure that I had a script somewhere in my head planned out for this kind of situation.

Back when I was still in the Plumbers, I usually like to spend my time talking to myself in my head. I know, I know… it sounds strange, but don't pretend that you've never done that before. I would picture myself in a situation similar to this with Ben around and would have some kind of a speech ready to lecture him to death. But now… all that I was able to do was look around and observe at other people passing by. Heck it almost felt like he wasn't even here, like he was transparent to the outside world.

"Nice day huh?" I said trying to get a feel for the mood.

Ben looked around for a moment licking his ice cream before nodding, "Yeah… nice day…"

And then again we remained silent, our eyes darting apart not trying to look at each other. We were probably on the same level right now. Neither of us knew what to do next or what to even say. We were just there… minding our own space not doing anything.

But just looking at this situation from a bird's eye view, I couldn't help but be amazed on how much the both of us had changed. Back around five or seven years ago, during our first summer vacation with grandpa, we could barely stand five minutes of each other and now look at us. We were barely talking to one another…

…

…

…

Hmmm… you know what… now that I thought about it… we haven't really changed much at all. We barely talked back during the summer trip anyway.

"So… what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" my heart almost literally went out from my lunges and into my throat when Ben spoke up to me. He was still licking the remains of his ice cream, and some of the cream seemed to have scrubbed itself onto his outer mouth. I chuckled at him for a moment and let out a small laugh. "What's so funny?"

"You just got some ice cream on you" I replied unable to hold my chuckling. Ben then quickly licked his lips with his tongue savoring every last drop of ice cream he had left.

"Hehehe… looks like this ice cream is on me" for some reason, I couldn't help but agree to laugh at his joke. Even though it was old school jokes, it was the way he says it that makes me laugh.

"That joke is so old, you know that?"

"Yeah I know" he smirked playfully, "I guess I'm just an old fashion guy with old fashion tricks. Anyway… you sure are taking a huge risk bringing me into an open area like this. What if one of the Plumbers should spot us?" I guess he did have his own reasons to be cautious to his surroundings. He was an outlaw on both sides of the secret war and by being in the slums for so many years he practically grew himself a third eye somewhere in his back.

But I just waved his worries off, "Don't worry. I can tell who are Plumbers and those who aren't. My badge tells me if there is an active Plumber nearby it will signal me. And besides… this is the only area **where the troops are scarce**"

"Really?" he replied slyly like he was trying to get some info out of me, "Please, do tell. How many more of you are out there?"

"Nice try" I folded my arms in victory, "But you're not getting anything out from me. You might try to escape and I wouldn't want that to happen"

"Yeah I guess so" he said in a tone that I could not analyze. His words were so nimble that they could either be lies or truth or maybe even both if that was humanly possible. He was always an excellent liar, which made him one of the least persons you could trust with your lunch money. I should know… back when we were in grade school, he spent all of my lunch money on Sumo Slammer cards. "But you can never be too careful"

We both spun our heads around not wanting to look at each other. I didn't want to start another argument so it was best if the two of us just cooled down for a moment. After looking at the passing crowd for a few seconds, I finally got the courage to ask him for lunch. "So… wanna have lunch?"

"Are you gonna take me to some fancy restaurant again?"

"I was thinking maybe we'd have a burger somewhere in Burger Palace" for once in a long while I was actually able to get Ben to make a reaction out of his face. He didn't expect me to take him to a typical place full of HIS kind. Heck he was so surprised that he was only able to nod in return, "Come on, my treat" I then slung purse to my waist and led the way. Hopefully I'll be able to earn his trust and somehow try to convince him to come back. It was a long if not impossible shot, but I had to take it. If I can't convince him to come back with me in three months time, I'll be forced to use my last resort.

The walk to Burger Palace wasn't long. Probably just about two or three minutes and we were already there. The place however was much larger than the one in Central Mall. It had a second floor to accommodate more customers and a longer cashier lane to hasten the speed of efficiency. Luckily for both of us, we didn't have to wait long until we were next in line.

We ordered our thing. Ben was kind enough to get himself a small cheese burger and a bottle of soda. Me on the other hand being the weight conscious person that I am, went for the less sugar based products.

We sat on a double seated table and enjoyed our meal. But as we gradually ate, I began to notice something about Ben's eating habit. Usually back in the days he would garble at the sight of a large plate pizza like a man who hasn't eaten in years. But now… as I look at him, he was eating his meal slowly, biting off a small piece of the burger with great care. Normally a starving man from the slums would die all over a burger like this, but not Ben. It could make me wonder how his stamina was doing.

"Something wrong with your food?" I asked a little worried.

He looked at me straight in the eye before turning back to his burger, lost in thought. "No… its… great… its alright…" that's when I noticed his eyes began to grow all misty and hazed. It was like his entire mind was filled with sad thoughts at the moment.

"If you don't like it, you can order something else you know" I offered standing up from my seat.

But he quickly put me back down, "No, it's alright" he held my hand, refusing to let me go back to the counter. "Really. I… I'm just enjoying my food" I didn't really believe him, but I decided to let it slide this once.

"Is this about money?" I asked with a slight smirk, "If you're worried about my budget, don't be. I got a Plumber instant cred-card. It allows me to draw more than twenty-grand from the local account, so don't worry. Come on, let me get you something" I was just about to move out when he suddenly pulled my hand even tighter.

"I said no!" the slight raise of his voice was enough to grab the attention from some of the surrounding tables. Even I was a little frightened by him. He never actually raised his voice to me before… not even during when we kids, so I have to say that this came as a bit of a surprise.

Instead of denying his wishes, I decided to return to my seat completely confused. Ben was acting really weird right now. He has a living piggy bank with him and still he refuses to listen. Sometimes I just don't get this guy.

"Sorry…" he apologized, "I didn't to say it out loud"

"Hey don't worry about it" I replied feeling a little insecure myself. To actually see Ben so furious even for a second stunned me for a moment. "But if you need anything, just ask" and after that we went back to enjoy what was left of our meal.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After our meal at Burger Palace we began roaming around the mall, looking at shops and window shopping at the same time. I offered to buy Ben some new clothes and accessories but for some reason he didn't seem to be interested in any of them. Not only that but the more I stayed with him the more he began to become more…… distant. He was walking so slow that he even made grandpa Max look like an Olympic sprint runner.

I didn't mean to say that he was slow or anything, but it kind of felt like he didn't want to be around me or something.

This went on for a few hours until it was time to pop in the question. I took him to the balcony on the third floor of the mall which was used for people who wanted to come out and smoke. Fortunately for the both of us there were only three other guys there that were getting some fine air.

The parking lot was just below us and the main road was just in view as well. There were cars, pedestrians and even police cruisers patrolling the borderlines as well.

As I looked out to the parking lot below I saw a tiny glimpse of my school just over by the radio broad cast station. The sun was already setting by the west side of the boy's dormitory so that only mean that curfew was going to start sooner or later. "Great view huh?" I stated while breathing in a good sum of air to my lungs.

"Yeah… if you don't mind the pollution and all" Ben replied being as emo as ever.

"Must you always be so negative?"

"Start living in the slums for a couple of years and you'll feel like the whole world is like this" he sighed out loud as he looked into the crowded streets. Again the two of us paused in silence trying to get the feel of the conversation. Arghhh! This is so unlike us! I was expecting us to have a normal decent conversation but everything I do or say seems to be having negative or no effects at all. Ughhh! I felt so useless!

After I cooled my head off, I decided that this was the time to ask him. "So Ben…" he turned his attention to me as I spoke his name, "Have you thought about coming back? You know… back with us?" his face immediately soured like that of a prune. He knew that this question was coming sooner or later, but I guess I launched that attack a little too early.

"No…" his answer was a bit hesitant and unsure. Usually that would be a bad answer, but for some reason, I managed to take that as a good start. Yesterday he denied the offer without even second guessing.

"Why not?" I asked in which he just looked at me with a 'are you serious?' face. "Come on Gwen" he stated with another sigh, "You know why I can't go back"

"Ben………" he was talking about the incident that happened five years ago. Back then the two of us were living in a different kind of Bellwood. A roughly small town in the inland of the U.S.A. it was fairly a city on its own, but it was home. One day, when Ben and his family were out with grandpa Max, something terrible happened. A fire that started out in the downtown area caused a meltdown in the gas-line that centered right beneath the city. Ben should know more about this since his father uncle Carl used to work there too. (See Ben 10 the original series episode 49: Good bye and Good Riddance)

At first the authorities thought that the fire could be contained by closing the gas valves, but they thought wrong. A few minutes after the gas pipe got ignited, the gas storage tank that was located within the city blew up, destroying two blocks of neighborhood in a sea of flames. I was out for a school trip that week so I couldn't know what was going on.

The city barely had any warnings when the flames finally kicked in and turned the entire city into a living inferno. The people tried to get out of the city in every way possible but the debris on the road and the wildly spreading fire trapped about 70 percent of the populace inside. Ben and grandpa were lucky to have made it out of there alive but Ben's parents… Carl and Sandra…… they never made it to the checkpoint…

My parents however were fortunate that day. Since my mom works in the hospital and dad in the senate building… they were among the first to get out.

It wasn't about a week later until I discovered what had happened. '**The Bellwood Inferno'** was the name of the story in the newspaper. I called my parents a day later and was glad that they were fine. Ben on the other hand became strangely amiss. When he and grandpa got out of the city via an escape pod from the Plumber base beneath the city, he suddenly vanished without a trace. And the rest as they say… is history.

"You know that there was no way you could've stopped the fire. What happened back at Bellwood is already done… ancient history. Neither you nor grandpa Max could've done anything to prevent it"

"Yeah…" he sighed.

"So come on, whatdaya say? It'll just be like old times. Isn't fighting aliens what you've always wanted to do for a living?"

"It used to be. Right now I just want to live a normal life. You know… get a decent job somewhere in the city and probably live the rest of my life"

"A normal life?" I cocked a brow of confusion as I starred back at him, "How do you expect to live a normal life when your life is nothing but normal?"

"Are you talking about the slums…… or this?" he flashed me the Omnitrix on his left wrist vaguely like he was pissed off. "I know what I said during 'that' summer vacation Gwen, but we were kids back then. You can't rewind time and do things all over again" that wasn't entirely true for me. I had a spell somewhere in one of my spell books that allows me to go back through time and alter history. But the only problem was that the spell had very dangerous effects to the future. One action in the past could probably alter the time stream and space itself and that was a risk I wasn't going to take.

After a brief pause I decided to resume our conversation, "Maybe not" I replied to him, "But we can still make it even better, can't we?"

He looked away from me not wanting to get any eye contact. Great… now he was growing more and more distant… nice work Gwen, you really know how to NOT make him like you.

Seeing that he wasn't going to talk for awhile, I decided to relieve some of my stress with a little cigar. I quickly pop one into my mouth and light it away. This was the only method I knew how to get myself to relax.

"I didn't know you smoke" I jerked my head around only to see Ben's confused stare. "Actually, I started around 2 years ago" I replied puffing out a smoke, "Don't tell me you haven't tried them"

"They're a waste of money and they're bad for you" and without even warning, he took my cigar pack and the stick I was puffing and threw them off the balcony. "Hey!" I shrieked, "What did you do that for? That brand cost me about 5.50"

"Trust me" he dusted his hand together, "You're better off without them. Of all the habits you could've picked it had to be this"

"You always did say that I needed a new hobby. Other than this I could've taken ballet dancing"

"Then maybe you should've" now I know he was pissed. That irritating voice, that cold shoulder and that final huff, it could only mean that he was angry. "Let's go, the slum's curfew will be up soon and I don't wanna get locked out again" he turned his back to me and started walking away.

"Ben… Ben, wait" but just when I was about to grab his shoulder to stop, he suddenly stopped me. "Ben, look at me"

"Shhh…" he said in a whispered tone as he grabbed my hand. The only time he ever does that is when danger was afoot. "What is it?" I asked.

"Don't look now, but there are two guys behind us" he said not looking back. "One wearing a black coat and another wearing a baseball cap. They've been following us since Burger Palace" I quickly took out my makeup mirror pack to see what was behind me and to Ben's truth there they were right in that spot just a few hundred meters away. They were darting their eyes at us but at the same time not trying to get our attention. "Are they friends of yours?"

"They're not one of the Plumbers, that much is for sure" I answered putting away my makeup mirror kit. "I think they could be alien bounty hunters"

"No…" he replied with a stern face. "They're from someone else. Follow me and don't make any sudden moves" knowing Ben's intellectual and tactical thinking I decided to trust him… for now. Immediately we walked right back into the mall to hide along with the crowd. And right as if on cue, the two guys that Ben pointed out began following us. We crisscrossed through the thicket of the mall, joining in with the large crowds, avoiding all other obstacles along the way. As we hastened our paste I could feel that our pursuers were doing the same.

When we finally came by the entrance of the mall, Ben quickly put on his hood to cover his face. "Sit down" he pushed me gently towards an empty bench near the bus stop. When he sat beside me, he quickly put his arm over my neck and placed his face slightly closer to me. "Now pretend that you're talking to me" luckily for him, I used to be in the drama club back in high school so I know how to play my role as a pretender. Although I hate to admit it myself, this trick might've even worked on me if I was the one pursuing him.

We waited and pretended like we were talking like regular people and with some luck, our pursuers appeared only to be stunned at our sudden disappearance. Fortunately they were in my range of sight so I was able to get a good view of them. One of them wearing the black coat had tanned skin and had a small pocket size ingram (uzi) on his waist. Now I was certain they weren't with the Plumbers. Ballistic firearms are so last century ago. His partner on the other hand had a .45 strapped onto his thigh, which explained how it was able to avoid the metal detector at the entrance.

Those who wanted to smuggle in guns or powder through state would strap their products right between their legs for safety. That would be the last place anyone would look at, and if your thighs are thick enough, the metal detector wouldn't even sense a thing.

The two of them were quite persistent and so Ben and I had to remain in that position for a whole 3 minutes. Not talking and barely even breathing.

"Are they gone?" Ben asked as he puffed out his breath. I checked his back one more time and noticed that the two of them were no longer there. "Yeah… they're gone" we quickly got back up on our feet and took the next bus heading towards the Industrial district. Hopefully we can get away from whoever was hunting us.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After we took our seat on the rear end of the bus, I scanned my surroundings just in case if one of the Plumbers should be in. Fortunately for us, there weren't any. "Who were those guys?" I asked finally trying to get a little detail on Ben's life. If I was going to convince Ben on coming back, I had to at least know what he's been going through.

"Gang bounty hunters" he answered calmly like this had happened before. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since his head is wanted by several of the most dangerous alien warlords out in the galaxy. "They probably followed me from the slums. I guess whoever sent them must've had a bounty on my head"

"You really do know how to make enemies, don't you?"

"Hey, it's not like I wanted to"

"If that place is too dangerous for you then why don't you move out? I can rent you a place in a hotel or an apartment? I can even get you one in…"

"No…" he interrupted with a stern look. "There are some things that I have to do first. I can't leave the slums just yet"

"Is it about Wallace?"

"No…" it didn't look like he wanted to answer any further questions so I decided to stop my interrogation for now. Getting him irritated would not be the most logical course of action. So for the rest of the trip on the bus were remained in silence.

By the time we reached the gateway to the slums, it was already passed sunset. The curfew was about to begin in a matter of minutes and sadly… that only meant that it was the end of my meeting with Ben.

So I guess I have to say that this attempt was a failure, but hey… it wasn't gonna get me down that's for sure. I'll just have to try again tomorrow and do things differently. Like my grandpa always said, 'Things never work out in the beginning but it works out nonetheless' He should know this because when he started to reform the Plumbers again it was difficult bringing the old crew back. He had to track down every member from space to the last spec here on earth.

But even after gathering the majority of the organization still wasn't enough to pull us all together. Thanks to the lost of the Plumber Base in old Bellwood, my old hometown that was caught during the fire incident, things had been running even slower. But after years of hard work my grandpa managed to bring the group up to speed and power once again.

As Ben and I exited the bus, I noticed that there was a bakery shop not far from the quarantine wall that was just about to close for the night. I thought buying Ben some go home gift would be the least I could do for him. "Hey Ben, can you wait there for a moment?" he merely nodded back in reply before heading off towards the guarded gate. He kept his distance from the SWAT force and had his eyes darting left and right as if he was expecting an attack.

"Excuse me" I said to the baker as I approach the stands, "Can I have two loaves of your finest meat bread" the baker looked like a Spanish with a long mustache El Zoro himself. He nodded to me and quickly pulled out two loaves of bread fresh from the pantry. The aroma of these tasty treats could ease my mind and send me off to wheat fields any day. After I paid up to the man and allowed him to keep the change I head my way back towards Ben who was anxiously awaiting my return. "Hey, sorry to keep you waiting"

"Oh don't worry" he shrugged, "I've had my practice waiting for you in the shoe store when we were kids" I gave him a mean look to his humored joke. But it was true though. Back when we were kids Ben would sometimes be waiting for me in clothes and shoe store as I browse through its contents, but usually he would sneak off away and leave me there with my parents or grandpa Max sometimes. "Hey, I don't take that long" I reasoned.

"You took two hours in the shoe store when we ten, three hours and forty minutes in the dressing room, of and don't get me started with the restaurant menus" he added with him lame catch accent.

"Ok ok ok, I submit" I accepted my fault, "But you got respect that a lady likes to take her time when it comes to fashion"

"Yeah I figured that one out the hard way" he rubbed his neck humorously, "Anyway, I got to go. The curfew will be starting soon" he was about to turn away and leave, but I stopped him briefly by grabbing on to the sleeves of his jacket. My heart really ached to watch him leave like this my limbs seemed to react on their own feeling as if they didn't want him to go. And to that truth I guess both my mind and heart were telling me the same thing. I didn't want him to go. He was right within my grasp and for once in five years I could actually touch him, hold him and never again let go. "Gwen?"

"Before you go…" I began to feel a little embarrassed having people see us like this. It was like saying goodbye to a person who was going to war back in the 1940s. "Here's something for you" I handed him the two loaves of bread that I bought from that bakeshop nearby, "I know its not much but take it with you. It'll be a nice dinner for you" I literally shoved the pack onto his chest gesturing that I wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

In the end after a short pause, he gave in and accepted it. "Alright……… thanks" I suddenly noticed him forcing out a smile from his mouth. What's so bad about getting a gift? "I have to go now…" he added abruptly cutting me from saying anything. I thought we were going to have a happy ending to this little reunion but it looks like I must've made a mistake somewhere. The way he left me like that was like he was trying to avoid me. He looked rather pissed off and angry but at the same time he was able to flash out a smile. I wonder what got him all wined up. Oh well… I guess I'll just have to figure that one out tomorrow because right now I feel like I could sleep my way through the whole weekend.

**(Slums) (Ben's POV)**

As I walked through the gates of the slums the metal doors behind me closed shut with a defining click sound. Immediately after the last lock was initiated six SWAT officers appeared from their outpost and readied their guns just in case another riot should happen again. There hasn't been any riots as of late due to the gang wars dealing their own problems. Just a few wannabes stragglers would come by now and then to throw rocks or paint graffiti on the wall. So far no major activities, but that could change in an instant if someone was just pushed at the right direction.

But that no longer interest me. Large death tolls and collateral damage meant nothing in this city as long as its rules left unbent. However, what got me really annoyed at the moment was the package I was carrying with me. Gwen didn't really need to buy me these things just to show how much she cared. I could already tell that she's worried sick with her own problems without me being in it. I even had to resist an urge to throw these things into that nearby garbage dumpster which already full with more than enough dirt the district could offer.

And just when I was about to reach the corner leading directly towards my house, I felt two presence nearby hiding in the shadows. They seemed to be professional assassins hired to kill me but it seems like they were still new to the dark side of the world. They were able to hide themselves well and blending in with their surroundings but the sound of their breathe was too uncontrolled and so I was able to tell where they were going to strike and what they were going to do.

3… 2…… 1…

Whoose!

I threw the bread package high up into the sky and dodged a pipeline stick attack from behind just by a hair strain. After I jumped back up on my feet, I kick the guy on the rear when he was off balance due to the extremeness of his swing. After that his partner who was wearing a baseball cap appeared from behind, carrying a combat knife with him.

He didn't even wait for me to recover before he launched his attack. I dodged the knife slash a few times and when he thrust, I grab his hand with my own and twist it, making him drop his weapon. With his arm in pain, I socked in several punches onto his face and with MY incredible strength I tossed him over towards the lamp post.

By the time the battle ended, the bread loaf that I tossed up earlier, landed right back onto my hands. You guys can either call that lucky or professionalism. "Hmm… 5.55 seconds" I said to myself, "Not a bad record" knowing that these so called assassins were sent by someone, I had to get the information out of them before they dash off to safer ground. The guy who hit the lamp post earlier was knocked out cold so I settled for the other guy who still had his pipeline stick. He tried to pick up his weapon again but I denied him that privilege by kicking it away.

I've watched my fair shows of action movies before so interrogation would be rather easy for me. Sadly there was no one around to play the good cop so we'll just have to make do with what we have. "Alright sucker!" I grabbed the guy by his shirt collar and dangled him high into the air. He was a little taller than me so it became a little difficult to intimidate him. "I'm gonna ask some questions and you'd better answer them truthfully or you're gonna relive your elementary years again the hard way!" I cornered him to a wall making sure that there was only two ways he was gonna escape. Either he squeals or he can try to break free some how.

"Umph!! I an't saying nothing!" he groaned at me while trying to break free from my grip. Seeing that he still had the will to resist I raised him up a little high above the ground to make him get a feel that I was serious. "Grrr!"

"Oh yeah!? Well listen up buster, I have plenty of ways of making you talk!" I thought that threatening him might do the trick since my hands weren't loosening his throat. "See your pal over there?" I gestured to his knocked out partner. "You wanna end up like him down on the dump? I'm guessing not. Now if you don't want to end up like him you're gonna answer my questions!" I then banged his head on the wall a few times to get him to know that I was serious.

After a brief pause and a little thinking, I suddenly noticed a pin hidden in the guy's chest pocket. I quickly took it out and drop him off the ground. By the time he got loose he made a dash for it towards the Dead Garden, right into Verdon's territory. Luckily for me, I still had that pin.

It was a purple V…

Well at least that was a relief. If the pin had been a red V then this would've been a different story. These purple V pins are only given to members of Viper's gang for new recruits. Vanessa must be trying to provoke me into coming to her place again. She must've also known that these guys would never stand a chance against me either. They were a bit old and really green in their combat skills. (Green as in a newbie green not the color green. It's a military term I believe)

Man, if she wanted to talk to me she could've just send a messenger rather than those two guys. With nothing left to do, I quickly made my way back home before the sun completely sinks into the ocean. Hopefully tonight there won't be much of a ruckus.

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My house of course was obviously at the same state as it was a year ago. With broken rooftops, creaky windows and poster probably 5-6 years old, it still made me feel like at home. "Hey Wallace, I'm home" I called out hoping to see that squirt again, but then suddenly to my surprise, it was his sister Alex that greeted me. "Hello Ben…" she replied in her unchanging emotional face. "It's nice to see you safe and sound again…"

"Oh hey there Alex" I slowly then close the door to keep the cold out. "Shouldn't you be in bed? Where's Wallace?"

"He went out earlier to do his daily work" she tightened her hug on her teddy bear a little bit with a slight breathing sound. "He said that he will be back later before dinner"

Great… nice work Wallace, you left a little girl out in my house which was the hot spot of every crook in the slums and you're off doing who knows what. "Haaa…" I sighed out loud rubbing the back of my neck in the process. I just hope that the boy doesn't get himself into anymore trouble. "Hey, did you have dinner yet?" I asked her and she shook her head in reply. "Well I got some bread from outside"

"Gwen, bought you those… didn't she?" she interrupted me. Usually any man who hears her say that would be surprised and utterly stunned, but after living with her for a year already, nothing surprises me anymore.

You'd probably noticed by now, but Alex isn't exactly a normal little girl. Sure she may have that cute look and chubby face, but deep inside her true essence is actually the power of an oracle. A far-seer if you would call it that. She can see the future or at least the distant future of any person she wants. The only problem is that she barely has any control over that power and it sometimes forces her to see untellable predictions.

"Yeah…" I answered finally before seeing her take a slice and stuffing it into her mouth. She even tried feeding Little Oliver, her teddy bear some too.

Seeing that there was nothing left for me to do, I decided to sit on my favorite rocking chair and gaze out once more at the moon that was just outside. It was a peaceful night and hopefully tomorrow can only go for the better. Gwen will probably try and persuade me again but I greatly hope that she would abandon this silly mission and go on with her life.

But…

I guess that won't be happening anytime soon…

**(Girl's dorm)**

I walked through the bridge connecting to the girl's dormitory a few hours before the dorm curfew time had begun. There, I saw Alfonse and Edgar again playing some silly board game to keep their boredom off the charts. It was like some kind of medieval card game seemed to be the 'in' thing with kids of today. I never really played it myself but I heard from a lot of students that they were particularity interested in it. What was it called again…?

Oh that's right… Gords and Goblins…

"Hey there Gwennie" Alfonse was the first to notice me as he waved back. I returned the gesture and smiled at him. "You're a bit early today. Not feeling well?"

He wasn't far off from the point, "No, I'm just tired that's all" I answered back smiling. "Is Mrs. Randolph here?"

"You mean the caretaker?" Alfonse said quizzled, "She went to the main office building earlier for a meeting with the teachers. I don't think she'll be back for another hour or so" I accepted the answer and slowly made my way towards my room.

The trip to my own sanctuary wasn't really long. It was only on the third floor of the center building and most of the students were still probably out hanging around in bars and clubs for all I care. The first thing I did when I got into my room floor was to get a nice clean shower. Traveling around the city and going through public transportation did a relatively small number on my exo-suit but it did make me feel a little dirty.

As I brushed off the dirt on my shoulder I began to reflect on my day with Ben. Ok our moments may have been short and our time together rudely interrupted by some thugs looking for a fight, but I have to say that this first time out must've been a big failure. We barely spoke up to each other and the meal we had was nothing special either. It almost felt like I was going through the mall with the ghost, I even began to think that he didn't even exist.

But the reason why I was confused on was why he didn't want to buy anything from the stores. I mean hell I was a walking ATM for crying out loud! Any man worth his salt would be glad to be traveling with a life sized piggybank and the way he looked at me when I bought him dinner (the bread) was just strange.

He seemed kind of angry… did I piss him off in some way?

…

…

…

…

I think I did…

Crud…

Duh Gwen, of course you did! It's not like he's got money to spend on a restaurant on anything. And having me paying would've put him on the spot! Damn I'm so stupid! I totally insulted his pride.

People say that when you go into a bath, you go there to relax. But for me, I just got myself a headache thinking all of this. So without anyone noticing, I turned off the faucet and made my way back to my room.

But to think that my troubles weren't enough when I entered my room, the sight of my laptop quickly reminded me that I should file a report to Paullina today. "Damn…" I said to myself. Paullina's gonna have a fit if she doesn't get my weekly report and that would mean a whole two hour lecture from her through a mini screen. "Well I better get on that report" so instead of pondering on my thoughts I quickly got back to work.

I'm going to have to report everything I did these past few days………… but I think I'll just leave Ben out of the picture… for now.


	8. Update

Hello dear Ben 10 fans I hope you are enjoying the story as much as I am. I know that all of you have questions but I'll generalize the story for now.

1: This is one of a trilogy series which i will listing down.

A: Ben 10 Returns (Lost Hero)

B: The Battle of Earth (Secret...)

C: Exodus (Secret...)

2: Ben and Gwen are still cousins yes and their relationship will not go far as many of you will like, but I know you will still like it

3: You may have noticed i have highlighted several phrases in the previous chapters. That is because these key phrase will help you better understand the story even better. Remember these key words well because you'll be umphing for more later.

4: Know that every great writer in fanfic or other series out there were once readers like yourselves. We authors are bred from readers and readers are inspired by authors. Remember: Anyone can write a story.

5: Keep reading and keep writing, or in some cases, typing.


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